Why an Atom Bomb is so Destructive

Although no one man was entirely responsible for the conceptualization of the atomic bomb, clearly Albert Einstein had a lot to do with it. So what is Einstein's expression for the relationship between matter and energy? Chances are good, you already know - it's that little equation, E = mc², where "E" stands for the energy, "m" stands for mass, and "c" stands for the speed of light.

A Simple Example

This indicates that if matter and energy are inter-converted, they do so according to that mathematical relationship. The energy produced is numerically equal to multiplying the amount of matter by the speed of light times the speed of light again (hence, "squared"). It is probably best explained by using an example. How much energy would one pound of completely converted matter produce? Let's use the simple number of one pound (454 grams) of matter.

m = 454 grams
c = 30,000,000,000 centimeters per second

Therefore, using CGS units (Centimeter, Gram, Second),

E = (454g) x (30,000,000,000cm/sec) x (30,000,000,000cm/sec)

Energy = 410,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ergs

Wow! That's a lot of energy! No wonder that the weapon of mass destruction known to us as the atom bomb packs such a wallop.

A Big Bang Indeed!

Although there is no positive proof mankind got here via an explosion, the most popular scientific theory to date calls for a "Big Bang." The suggestion is that all matter was in one place at some point of time, and a tremendous explosion took place, producing the expanding universe as we know it.

Whether you believe in such an event or not, think of the immeasurable-the inconceivable-amount of matter in the universe, in terms of pounds. Then multiply each and every pound of that matter by the number bolded above. Can you see why the words of Isaiah cited below are not an exaggeration, but a truism? Those words read...

"Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing." -Isaiah 40:26.

References and Resources:

American Institute of Physics E = mc²

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Video Lecture - E = mc², by Hitoshi Murayama