I might just be stupid because math is not my strong suit, but it seems like the fact that metric units are able to convert between mass and energy so cleanly is astounding. Especially since the metric system was invented so long before relativity, meaning these units were obviously not designed with this in mind.
What’s am I missing here? Is it possible to write an equivalent equation for imperial units?
In: Mathematics
I could be wrong here, but I think the actual answer OP is looking for is… *because we’ve specifically designed the equation so it works that way*. The E part of the equation is measured in Joules, and Joules are defined as (kg)( m^2 / s^2), which happens to correlate to mc^2. In other words, the equation works because really it’s just saying that “Joules=Joules”. Now, if you wanted to measure it in kilocalories, you would certainly need a coefficient…if my half asleep math is correct, it would be E=(0.000239)mc^2.
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