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Can you convert material 100% into
energy? Well yes you can in special
cases. Matter and anti-matter will
do it. They cancel each other out
making pure energy. We are surrounded by matter, but anti matter
is very rare. We can make it, but
guess what, it takes energy to make
it. As much energy is required as you
would get back. However normally
conversion isn’t 100%, so in practice
you’d lose energy in the steps.
A nuclear bomb (fission) for instance, is about 0.03% efficient whilst a hydrogen bomb ups it to about 0.3%.
That is only a tiny fraction of the mass is converted to energy. The effects are still quite devastating though.
ICY SCIENCE | WINTER 2013- 2014