The resulting products have a lower rest mass than the initial products. The lost mass is converted into energy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reaction#

The resulting products have a lower rest mass than the initial products. The lost mass is converted into energy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reaction#Energy_conservation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reaction#Energy_conserv... EDIT since I can't reply. Particle/antiparticle "annihilation" is the conversion of their mass to energy. This is the same outcome as with the converted mass in a nuclear reaction. If your argument is that I misused the word "annihilation" because it's a technical term in physics referring strictly to the mass->energy conversion in a matter/antimatter reaction, then I will concede that semantic point to you.