Mass-Energy

How it works

1. Use the slider to adjust the velocity of the object as a fraction of the speed of light, c.

2. A graph plots the energy (in units of mc²) against velocity, showing how energy increases as the velocity nears c. A moving marker on the graph highlights the current energy state.

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About

In special relativity, the energy of a moving object increases dramatically as its speed approaches the speed of light. According to Einstein’s famous equation, E = γmc², "the faster an object moves, the more its energy increases, approaching infinity as it nears the speed of light" This means that achieving light speed would require an infinite amount of energy, making it impossible for objects with mass. This simulation is an interactive way to explore the relativistic energy equation. By adjusting the velocity slider, you can observe how the Lorentz factor scales the object's energy.