Clear examples Bodanis offers clear and often provocative examples and thought experiments to demonstrate what the equation means and its ramifications. At the dawn of our universe, the relationships described in the equation powered the Big Bang and ignited the stars. And, he notes, we have made the equation work for us. The understanding that led to the manufacture of atomic bombs also fueled the development of the Geiger counter, the smoke detector and the computer on which you are reading this review. It is as tangible as sunshine and as easy to understand as a recipe for chocolate cake.
Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.
The terms of the equation are fairly straightforward and its math is at the level of junior high algebra. The difficulty lies in grasping the bold concept embodied by those five symbols. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines .