What is the special theory of relativity in simple terms?
Special relativity is an explanation of how speed affects mass, time and space. The theory includes a way for the speed of light to define the relationship between energy and matter — small amounts of mass (m) can be interchangeable with enormous amounts of energy (E), as defined by the classic equation E = mc^2.
What are the different consequences of the special relativity theory?
Specifically, Special Relativity showed us that space and time are not independent of one another but can be mixed into each other and therefore must be considered as the same object, which we shall denote as space-time. The consequences of space/time mixing are: time dilation. and length contraction.
What is special and general relativity?
Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy.
Why did Albert Einstein write a letter to Franklin in 1939?
In August 1939, Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to warn him that the Nazis were working on a new and powerful weapon: an atomic bomb. Fellow physicist Leo Szilard urged Einstein to send the letter and helped him draft it.
Why is special relativity so important?
Einstein’s special relativity has had a major impact on the field of physics, in the calculation and understanding of high-velocity phenomena, and an even more important effect on our ways of thinking. Our understanding of space and time is much greater now than it was at the turn of the century.
What is an example of special relativity?
Another interesting result of special relativity is length contraction. Length contraction is when objects appear shorter the faster they are moving in relation to the observer. To give you an example of how objects moving very fast appear shorter.
Who created atom bomb?
J. Robert Oppenheimer
J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) was an American theoretical physicist. During the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer was director of the Los Alamos Laboratory and responsible for the research and design of an atomic bomb. He is often known as the “father of the atomic bomb.”
What is the formula for special relativity?
E = mc 2. One of the results of the theory of special relativity is Einstein’s famous equation E = mc 2. In this formula E is energy, m is mass, and c is the constant speed of light.
What is the general relativity equation?
The equation. The general theory of relativity is captured by a deceptively simple-looking equation: Essentially the equation tells us how a given amount of mass and energy warps spacetime . The left-hand side of the equation, describes the curvature of spacetime whose effect we perceive as the gravitational force.
What is a synonym for relativity?
relativity, theory of relativity, relativity theory, Einstein’s theory of relativity(noun) (physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts. Synonyms: relativity theory, theory of relativity.