facts

This formula accurately predicts the energy released in a reaction of mass reduction. This type of reaction is very important in weapons development, as the energy released is proportional to the speed of light squared -- which is itself a very large number.

Uranium and neutrons, the two chemical components in a simple nuclear bomb, together have considerably more mass than any two elements in the middle of the periodic table. This means that if neutrons bombard uranium, vast amounts of energy are released. This is what makes nuclear reactions so powerful. The most powerful chemical reactions release several electron volts (a unit of energy equal to approximately 1.6×10^-19 Joules), whereas the fission of uranium releases approximately 200 million (Badash 23).

So much energy is stored in mass that, if a single penny could be converted entirely into energy, it could supply power the average American household for more than two million years (Fishbane et. al. 908).

Einstein, in studying these reactions, realized their potential military applications. If a small fraction of the energy contained in a one-kilogram mass could be released quickly as energy, an immense explosion would occur. In writing a letter to President Roosevelt on the issue, Einstein urged that this "new and important source of energy" (American Institute of Physics 1) be explored further.

In making this reccomendation, Einstein secured a place in the controversy surrounding atomic weapons. Although he did not contribute directly to the development of the atom bomb, he was certainly responsible for its completion due to his foundation of research and his letter to FDR.