Final answer:
Lise Meitner and her associates validated Einstein's equation E=mc^2 by analyzing the mass and energy relations in the process of nuclear fission, where a loss of mass corresponded with the energy released, adhering to Einstein's predictions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lise Meitner and associates, including her nephew Otto Frisch, played a crucial role in validating Einstein's equation E=mc^2 by interpreting the results of the experiments conducted by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman. Their work concerned the process of nuclear fission, discovered in 1938, which releases a significant amount of energy. Meitner and Frisch realized that when a uranium nucleus split into smaller parts, the mass of the resulting nuclei was less than the mass of the original uranium nucleus. This difference in mass, when multiplied by the square of the speed of light (c^2), corresponded to the enormous amount of energy released during the reaction, as predicted by Einstein's equation.
Einstein himself published the implications of this relationship showing that energy and mass are equivalent. Over time, further experiments across various areas of particle physics, including the decay of particles, demonstrated that the loss in mass during these reactions directly correlates to the energy released or absorbed, confirming the validity of E=mc^2.