Thursday, August 30, 2007

Documentary: Einstein - Equation of life and death (e=mc2 )

Photo: Einstein

This video is about Einstein e=mc2 (publish in 1905). This eq was famous when it is use to create the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima in 1945.

What is
e=mc2 (energy = mass x speed of light)?
This equation concern mass and energy. Mass can be transform into energy and energy into mass. This eq is special because Einstein can give the exact value in the amount of energy that are contain in mass. The result is that a small amount of mass can create a lot of energy. Eg. a cup of water can power London for a week.

How is the sun powered?
What really powers the sun? If the sun just burns like bond fire then it should have died out millions of years ago. Einstein eq explain that the sun's core mass are constantly converted into energy. Tiny particle are smash together. And mass transform into energy.

The race for atomic bomb begins
Soon ppl start to think if
e=mc2 can power the sun, then could we use it to generate power on earth? Can we release energy inside atom for our own purposes?

Einstein reply to this is that it is not practical to get energy out of atom. However hard that it is tried it will always take more energy to smash an atom than was created.

In 1933 Hitler came to power in Germany. Germany is a great centre in Physic. They research on how to release energy from atom to create bomb. They have found that radioactive are suitable as the substance. But how to break them is another challenge altogether.

In 1933 Leo Szilard work out how to make e=mc2 into a bomb. He study in Berlin and left shortly after Hitler came to power. He realizes ppl are going about the wrong way. Scientist release energy by hitting alpha particle (consist of 2 proton and 2 neutron) onto nuclear but create very little energy. Since both the particle and nuclear carry positive electric charge they are like 2 magnets that will repel each other. This prevents it from blasting apart.

He recently discovered neutron. It has no electric charge. It won’t repel. It will hit on nuclear and nuclear can be split.

Leo’s theory: if u hit an atom with a neutron, as the atoms are divided, it will not only release energy but also create 2 or 3 more neutrons. Then the neutron will break more nuclear. As chain reaction multiplies then you have a bomb. This is a way of getting energy out of atom without pumping in vast amount of energy. All u have to do is have one tiny neutron to get a chain reaction.

In 1938, less than a year before outbreak of World War 2, he receives news that the German has found out about neutron.

He decides to use Einstein to alert the world of Nazi’s atomic bomb. He believes he is saving the world. When Einstein realize how the bomb can affect the world. He wrote a letter in 1939 to Franklin Roosevelt about the bomb.

In the wilderness in New Mexico, the US gov set up a top secret project. They name it Manhattan. 2.2 billion dollar is spent. It is today’s 50 billion dollars. In May 1945 before the bomb is complete, the Nazi surrenders. The war in Europe is over.

Although there is no threat, the work of Manhattan continues. 2 month after the defeat of Nazi, the bomb is complete. Japan war continues. The target has been selected. Hiroshima, Japan.

Aug 1945. The first atomic bomb is drop. It fell through the air 43 second. 0.6gm of mass is converted into 12.5 kiloton of energy in 6/10 second. That is the power of
e=mc2. Hiroshima bomb is a small bomb that cos the death of 70k ppl. Radiation sickness causes another 70k death. The bomb destroys 98% of city.

Einstein was horrified. He campaign against the spread of nuclear weapon and development.

There is another side to
e=mc2 . It is only clear after his death. Scientist discover that the e=mc2 are not only the eq for destruction but also the eq of creation.

A small amount of mass = energy. Energy can condense back to mass. The universe begins 50,000 million years ago. At dawn of universe, energy was created through a big bang that evolves and condenses into material and mater. Which eventually transform into mass that makes out everything in the universe. Universe begins with a ball of energy then transform into mass. Everything in our planet exist because of the underlying work of Einstein eq.

However, Einstein did not live long enough to realize that e=mc2 is not only an eq for destruction but also an eq for creation.

1 comment:

Hanabrides said...

if you believe in the big bang theory (how the universe began), then it is true that we are all stardust....

During the big bang, one light atoms are created...that is helium , hydrogean and some lithium...

it is when a star (eg sun) burns out and go into a inplosion (call a supernova) that the other heavier atoms are created. Only a supernova can create the neccessary environment to forge stoms like carbon, iron, calsium etc....all of which is essential to create a living you....

So, we are all make of star-dust....literallly.

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