Week Four; E=mc2

How  has E=Mc2 affected me?

Well, E=Mc2 is the most famous equation in the world so it is burned into my subconscious somewhere with images of Einstein, chalkboards and nuclear bombs. I cannot readily trace this equation's affect on me in some direct concrete way other than the popular images is conjures up in my mind. The stars I see at night or the sun's rays as they shine down on me during the day are the most material experiences I can think of that are related to this equation. 

I did some research on this equation to try understand it in a way that would allow me to casually talk about it. I didn't quite reach my goal. Ok, so I understand that mass has energy, etc...but I get lost in the theoretical basis of the equation when fission and fusion start coming up. Maybe by the end of this class I will understand it enough to trace its real world effect on my life. 

The four forces; comparing them!

Ok, this is gonna be a challenge. Quick synopsis. The four forces are "the four discrete forces that govern the interactions of matter- gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force." Each force has its own messenger particle. 

Gravity is the weakest of all the forces. However, it has infinite range, as does electromagnetism. This means these forces exert themselves everywhere in the universe (i think?). Gravity is always attractive whereas electromagnetism has attractive and repulsive properties. The messenger particle of gravity is the graviton. The messenger particle of electromagnetism is the photon. 

The Weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force have ranges that are limited to subatomic distances. The weak force is responsible for radioactive decay and operates on very short distance scales found in the atomic nucleus. The strong force is responsible for keeping quarks together inside protons and neutrons and keeping them all inside the nucleus. 

Where gravity and electromagnetism operate within infinite range, the other two forces act only on the subatomic level. This is probably the biggest difference between the forces that I could find other than the fact that they have different strengths.