Einstein's most famous equation, E=mc², is a result of his work on special relativity, which he published in 1905 in a paper titled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." The equation relates energy (E) to mass (m) and the speed of light in a vacuum (c).
Einstein's journey to this equation began with his exploration of the behavior of light and the nature of space and time. He questioned the existing Newtonian mechanics and Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. Through his thought experiments and mathematical analyses, he developed the theory of special relativity, which introduced new concepts such as the constancy of the speed of light and the relativity of simultaneity.
In his paper, Einstein derived the relationship between energy and mass based on the principles of special relativity. He showed that energy and mass are interconvertible and that mass can be considered a form of condensed energy. The equation E=mc² expresses this relationship, where c represents the speed of light, a fundamental constant in physics.
It is worth noting that the equation E=mc² is a simplified form of the more general equation that includes momentum, but it has become the most well-known representation of the mass-energy equivalence concept.
Einstein's work revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and energy, and the equation E=mc² is a concise representation of one of the profound conclusions of his theory of special relativity.