Is Matter Converted to Energy in Reactions?

Authors

  • Paul K. Andersen New Mexico State University

Abstract

Einstein's mass-energy equation, E=mc^2, is often interpreted incorrectly to mean that matter can be converted into energy (or energy into matter) in chemical and nuclear reactions. The equation actually implies that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content; the mass increases if the energy increases. This requires that we modify our usual mass balance.

Author Biography

Paul K. Andersen, New Mexico State University

Paul K. Andersen is Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at New Mexico State University. He received his BS from Brigham Young University and his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, both in chemical engineering. His research interests include electrochemical engineering and process simulation. He is author of Just Enough Unix (McGraw-Hill, 2000) and coauthor of Essential C (Oxford, 1995).

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Published

2000-04-01

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 2 (2000): Spring 2000

Section

Manuscripts