Relativity is a theory in physics that can be basically implies that space and time are one in the same. This is absolutely counterintuitive to classical physics which has the two as completely different entities. Relativity can be separated into two basic concepts: Special and General Relativity. Within Relativity the fundamental concept above all else is that space and time are intertwined with each other in the universe as a fabric called space-time. Simply put, Special Relativity deals with the laws of Physics when observers are all moving uniformly relative to each other while General Relativity expands on the idea to include gravitation and acceleration. (Lieber, Lillian R. The Einstein Theory of Relativity. Philadelphia: Paul Dry, 2008. Print. p.95-99)
Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity can be broken into two parts: first, it dictates that the laws of physics are true no matter what reference point you are looking from and secondly the speed of light is constant no matter what reference point you measure it from. This first postulate of Einstein’s theory basically means that the laws of physics do not change depending on the reference point from which they are observed. For example, if you measure how long an object is it will be the same length whether you are flying in an airplane or you are stationary. (http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/relativity6.htm) The reason why the speed of light is constant is actually quite simple. Picture two cars, traveling in the same direction at the same rate, Car A’s driver has a slingshot while Car B’s driver has a laser pointer. At the exact same instant both fire in the direction of travel. If you were to measure the speed of the projectile that wa...
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...ein’s Theory of Relativity radically altered our perspective of the universe. It profoundly impacted the scientific community and has had an everlasting effect on science itself. All of the properties of his theories define and shape the world around us and without them we would have a negligible understanding of our universe. Albert Einstein once said “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” This is exactly what he did when the first thoughts of Relativity popped into his head in a patent office in Switzerland so many years ago.
Works Cited
Lieber, Lillian R. The Einstein Theory of Relativity. Philadelphia: Paul Dry, 2008. Print. Einstein, Albert, and Robert W. Lawson. Relativity; the Special and General Theory,. New York: H. Holt and, 1920. 21-25. Print
In this essay, the author
- Explains that relativity is a theory in physics that implies that space and time are one in the same.
- Explains einstein's theory of special relativity, which dictates that the laws of physics are true no matter what reference point you are looking from.
- Explains that lieber, lillian r. the einstein theory of relativity. philadelphia: paul dry, 2008.
- Explains einstein's postulate that time is an unchanging constant — it is a beam of light bouncing between two mirrors.
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In this essay, the author
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1159 wordsRead More