Physics

This problem is about mass-energy equivalence — Einstein's insight that mass and energy are interchangeable forms of the same thing. The key is recognizing that even a tiny amount of mass contains an enormous amount of energy because the conversion factor $c^2$ (the speed of light squared) is huge. You just need to plug the mass directly into $E = mc^2$ and let the numbers show you why nuclear reactions release so much power.

This problem is about mass-energy equivalence — Einstein's insight that mass and energy are interchangeable forms of the same thing. The key is recognizing that even a tiny amount of mass contains an enormous amount of energy because the conversion factor $c^2$ (the speed of light squared) is huge. You just need to plug the mass directly into $E = mc^2$ and let the numbers show you why nuclear reactions release so much power.