Involvement in E=mc2

...Otto Hahn was very involved in the book E=mc2. Hahn was, along with Fritz Strassmann and Lise Meitner, a vital part in researching the process now know as nuclear fission which has led to applications such as the atomic bomb and led to intensive nuclear research through the 20th century. Otto Hahn was largely involved in the utlisation of Einstein's famous equation, as shown throughout the mid-chapters in this great book of physics.

...This cartoon is a great representation of nuclear fission - what Hahn was working on with Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann. Hahn's work was very important to David Bodanis's book, because nuclear fission follows Einstein's equation E=mc². Einstein's equation means, literally, energy = the objects mass multiplied by the speed of light. While researching, Hahn and Strassmann found that when they had bombarded a nuclei with a slowed neutron, it split in half. Additionaly, they found that the two resultant atoms had a mass of 1/5th of a proton less than the original atom. This may seem like a small amount, but multiply that number by the speed of light and you get a great yield of energy! This was incredibly important as this discovery led to the utilization of nuclear bombs in the Second World War. Einstein's equation was finally being put to use - just not in a good way.²

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1. Tiki The Penguin. Energy: a guide for kids by Tiki the Penguin. December 4, 2005. <http://tiki.oneworld.net/penguin/energy
/energy.html>
2. Bodanis, David. E=mc². Canada: Anchor Canada, 2000.
3. Book from Amazon.com: E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation By David Bodanis. Lowth.com. December 3, 2005. <http://www.lowth.com/catalog/a5/f5j95v-e-mc2.html>.

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