![albert einstein atomic theory albert einstein atomic theory](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/file00316-150129044225-conversion-gate01/95/albert-einstein-5-638.jpg)
Lasers are an essential component of modern technology and are used in everything from barcode readers and laser pointers to holograms and fiber-optic communication. (Image credit: Encyclopaedia Britannica/UIG via Getty Images) The stages of stimulated emission in a laser cavity. According to the European Council for Nuclear Research ( CERN), if sufficiently energetic particles are smashed together, the energy of the collision can create new matter in the form of additional particles. Besides being a mind-blowing idea, the concept has practical applications in the world of high-energy particle physics.
![albert einstein atomic theory albert einstein atomic theory](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WbNldG8qRDk/hqdefault.jpg)
It also means that even an inert, stationary object has a huge amount of energy locked up inside it. This means that an object gains mass as it moves faster, simply because it's gaining energy. However, Einstein's equation says that mass and energy are essentially the same thing, as long as you multiply the mass by c^2 - the square of the speed of light, which is a very big number - to ensure it ends up in the same units as energy. Additionally, energy can exist in the complete absence of matter, for example in light or radio waves. In traditional physics, mass measures the amount of matter contained in an object, whereas energy is a property the object has by virtue of its motion and the forces acting on it.
![albert einstein atomic theory albert einstein atomic theory](https://assets.sutori.com/user-uploads/image/5b63edcc-c054-4836-af54-6b4c164d1cb8/8a082b7d6116833f24c75013469d2094.jpeg)
The equation expresses the equivalence of mass (m) and energy (E), two physical parameters previously believed to be completely separate. (Image credit: VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)Īn unexpected offshoot of special relativity was Einstein's celebrated equation E = mc^2, which is likely the only mathematical formula to have reached the status of a cultural icon.