What is the difference between the Einstien's Theory of Realativity and his Special Theory of Realativity?
2006-09-19 08:02:52 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Broadly, the general theory of relativity extends the special theory of relativity to include the effect of gravity (or, rather, to explain gravity not as a force but as something that comes from the 4 dimensional spacetime model from special relativity). Thus, the general theory of relativity includes the special theory of relativity.
The special theory of relativity (SR) gives us a way to study how our observations of space change relative to our motion through it. SR comes from the observation that the speed of light will be constant regardless of whether the observer is traveling toward the light source or away from it. This is what led to the discovery that time is pliable which gives us the notion of a 4 dimensional spacetime.
The general theory of relativity (GR) gives us a way to study how massive or very energetic objects warp spacetime. That warping of spacetime forces us to travel curved paths through it even though we are not explicitly traveling in curved trajectories through space. This is the nature of the equivalence principle. A rocket accelerating upward puts a force on you due to its motion. However, if the rocket was sitting still, you could feel an equivalence force from a surrounding gravitational field. In the first case, when you're in the rocket, you'll be moving through space along a curved trajectory due to your acceleration. In the second case, when you're standing still, you're not moving through space, but you're moving through spacetime with a curved trajectory due to the presence of an object that is curving spacetime and forcing even a stationary body to travel through a curved path.
2006-09-19 08:37:39 · answer #1 · answered by Ted 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Special Relativity says that all objects traveling at speeds approaching that of light will distort in mass and length, and time will slow. The General Theory attempts to define gravity as a warp in space-time, rather than a force.
2006-09-19 08:24:36 · answer #2 · answered by Benjamin H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is special because it involves the motion of light signals to transmit information.
2016-05-17 09:49:51 · answer #3 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contribution to the study of the Einstein -Maxwell equations ,space -times with cosmological constant
2006-09-19 08:12:17 · answer #4 · answered by heinrich m 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The other one is special
2006-09-19 08:06:46 · answer #5 · answered by bgavra989 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Hope this helps you. Good luck!
2006-09-19 08:08:42 · answer #6 · answered by The_answer_person 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋