Page 49 - DK Life Stories Albert Einstein by AELC

E=mc 2
A MASSIVE CONCEPT

2
E=mc is the equation for which Albert is most
famous. In physics terms, this stands for “energy
equals mass times the speed of light squared.” Put simply,
it says that energy and physical mass are really the same
thing. Albert believed that mass comes from trapping
energy, and when that energy is released, it moves at the
speed of light. (That speed is incredible, by the way—light
travels 186,000 miles / 300,000 km every second!) A
well-known example of such energy being used was with
the two atomic bombs that were dropped at the end of
World War II. Millions upon millions of atoms were split
open, instantly releasing massive amounts of energy.

A mushroom cloud
forms when an atomic
bomb explodes.

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