Matter and Energy, undestroyable?

Question

I've heard that the theory is that matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Is this accurate?

Also, how does anti-matter fit into this? I've heard that anti-matter, if it comes into contact with matter, results in the destruction of both. Is that true? Wouldn't that mean that matter can be destroyed? Or does destruction of anti-matter create matter, and destruction of matter create anti-matter? That just sounds crazy, so how about someone who knows stuff explain it to me.

Answer 1

yes its true. but since the discovery that matter and energy are infact the same thing, the law changes quite a bit. it is called the law of conservation of mass--energy.

matter cant be *destroyed* but it can be converted into energy. thats what antimatter does. when a particle of matter comes into contact with its antimatter partner (each particle has one single antimatter partner) then they annihilate eachother. they dont completely destroy eachother, they just convert entirely into energy.

so when it comes right down to it its just energy that cant be destroyed, and matter than can convert into energy.

Answer 2

When you bring matter and anti-matter in contact they destroy, but this results in a large amount of energy.  You can switch between matter and energy, but you can not create new matter without putting in energy, or get energy without putting in matter.

Answer 3

Matter and energy can be converted into each other, so we're speaking of matter-energy. Matter-energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but converting between matter and energy can occur. Anti-matter is essentially "backward" matter (according to one view put forth by the late Richard Feynman, antimatter is matter moving backward in time), and when it encounters its opposite, both are converted entirely into energy. As matter they are destroyed, but an equivalent amount of energy is created, and the net balance is zero.

To get the amount of energy that a given amount of matter converts into, multiply the matter by c² (where "c" is the speed of light). Or, as you have read, E = mc².

The units of mass, when multiplied by velocity units squared, result in units of energy. (Defining that sentence may require another question on Yahoo Answers.)

Answer 4

Energy obeys conservation. In an empty universe where only a particle of matter and antimatter exist, the resulting energy would be completely calculable.

Answer 5

Matter and energy are interchangeable. Einstein's formula explains this: E=MC2. E is energy (in Ergs) is equal to the mass

(of whatever the object is) times the speed of light squared. So one gram of matter, if totally converted to energy would yield

34,700,983,524 ergs of energy. Right now, total conversion is not possible on a larger scale. the interaction of matter and anti-matter releases pure energy in the form of gamma rays which are the highest energy particles that we are aware of. It DOES convert 100% but at the moment is not yet a controllable process, not like in Star Trek