- 1). Weigh the object you will perform the calculation for with a mass balance scale. Record its mass.
- 2). Convert the mass to kg, if necessary. To convert from g to kg, for example, divide by 1,000.
- 3). Square the speed of light. The speed of light is approximately, 300,000,000 m per second; (300,000,000 m/s)^2 equals 90,000,000,000,000,000 meters squared per second squared, or 9 x 10^16 m^2/s^2.
- 4). Multiply the result by the mass of the object in kilograms. If the mass is 0.1 kg, for example, (0.1 kg)*(9 x 10^16 m^2/s^2) = 9 x 10^15 kg*m^2/s^2.
- 5). Record the result in Joules, the standard metric unit for energy. One Joule equals 1 kg*m^2/s^2, so 9 x 10^15 kg*m^2/s^2 equals 9 x 10^15 J.
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