In "Relativity: Special and General Theory" (1917), Einstein's inertial mass (Eo/c2) is used to form E = mc2.
"IT is clear from our previous considerations that the (special) theory of relativity has grown out of electrodynamics and optics." (Einstein4, § 15).
"Hence we can say: If a body takes up an amount of energy Eo, then its inertial mass increases by an amount Eo/c2 " (Einstein4, § 15).
The absorption of a photon by a body does not increase the mass (Eo/c2) of an object; consequently, the increase in the mass (Eo/c2) of the object is zero (m = 0). In addition, Einstein’s photon energy equation E = mc2 is used to justify the quantization of Maxwell’s electromagnetic fields where a discrete photon’s energy (E) is absorbed by a body but the mass of a propagating or a photon at rest is zero (m = 0). Plus, Maxwell's electromagnetic fields are based on Faraday's induction effect that does not involve the emission of light; consequently, Einstein's energy equation E = mc2 is an analogy since a magnet cannot oscillate at the frequency of light which invalidates E = mc2.
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Me: For a photon is E = mc2 invalid? (less than ten words).
As ChatGPT: Yes — for a photon, E=mc2 is not valid, because a photon has zero rest mass (m=0).