What is mass and energy?

Mass is a measure of how much matter an object has. Energy is a measure of how much work an object can do or how much heat it can produce. They are different, but they are related. There is a famous equation by Albert Einstein that shows the relationship between mass and energy: E=mc^2

It means that energy and mass are equivalent, and they can be converted into each other. The letter c stands for the speed of light, which is a very large number. So, a small amount of mass can produce a lot of energy, and vice versa.

One example is nuclear fusion, which is the process that powers the sun and other stars. In nuclear fusion, some of the mass of hydrogen atoms is converted into energy when they fuse together to form helium atoms. This energy is released as heat and light, which we can see and feel from the earth.

Another example is nuclear fission, which is the process that powers some nuclear reactors and bombs. In nuclear fission, some of the mass of uranium atoms is converted into energy when they split apart into smaller atoms. This energy is also released as heat and radiation, which can be used to generate electricity or cause destruction.

If you burn a piece of wood, some of its mass is converted into energy as heat and smoke. But the amount of mass that is lost is very tiny compared to the amount of energy that is produced. You would need to burn a lot of wood to notice any difference in mass.

So, mass and energy are different, but they can be changed into each other according to Einstein's equation. That's very cool! Thank you for explaining it to me!