What happens in the reaction between matter and anti-matter?

By Stephen Battersby. Mixing antimatter and matter usually has predictably violent consequences – the two annihilate one another in a fierce burst of energy. ... It happened when both antiprotons and positrons – the antimatter counterparts of electrons – were put into the same magnetic cage. read more

Yes, the reaction between matter and its corresponding anti-matter particles is 100% efficient, converting all of the mass into energy. If you want to find the amount of energy produced in any such reaction, just multiply the total mass (particles plus their anti-particles) in kilograms by the speed of light squared (9 x 1016) and you will get the result in joules. read more

Because this reaction is 100% efficient, cosmologists believe that were it not for an asymmetry that favors matter over antimatter, the Big Bang may have annihilated ALL matter and produced a Universe filled with only energy. read more

Whenever antimatter meets matter (assuming their particles are of the same type), then annihilation occurs, and energy is released. In this case, a 1 kg chunk of the earth would be annihilated , along with the meteorite. read more