This is the very famous mass energy equivalence equation proposed by the noted physicist Albert Einstein. This equation relates mass and energy of a given system. According to this equation, the mass (m) and energy (E) of a body are related to each other as:
`E = mc^2`
Here, c is the velocity of light in vacuum. This relation states that mass and energy of a body are interchangeable. Before Einstein came up with this equation, mass and energy were thought to be unrelated. With this equation, we can figure out the amount of energy inherent in a given mass, assuming a 100% conversion efficiency. For example, using this equation, we can calculate the amount of energy we can obtain from the nucleus of an atom (As compared to that from valence electrons). That is why, nuclear energy is more efficient (in terms of energy per unit mass of fuel) than fossil fuel based energy.
Hope this helps.
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