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What is it?

In practical, we see that if we burn a coal, it emits heat & gives ash. Scientifically, the coal (matter) is converted into heat (energy) and precipitate (matter). This is a balance conversion that matter converts into energy. Similarly, we can generate a lot of energy after nuclear fission, in which also matter is converted into energy.

In inverse, similarly, energy can also be converted into matter. Physics’ most famous equation E= mc² given by Einstein also says the same. E (energy) is directly related to m (mass).

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Statement of Conservation of Mass(Matter)

Matter can never be created or destroyed, but it can convert itself into several other forms of either matter or energy or both.

Statement of Conservation of Energy

Energy can never be created or destroyed, but it can convert itself to other forms of matter & energy.

Statement of Conservation of Mass-Energy

One can easily regard this as a Symmetry operation, in which Energy ↔ Matter. Usually you can say, Matter (mass) and Energy both are conserved with their inner-conversions and the total value of mass+energy is a constant, since origin of universe.

The mass and energy can never be produced or destroyed — but they can be converted into one form to other.

© Gaurav Happy Tiwari, 2011