What is Einstien's theory of relitivity?

Question

I heard of it but dont know what it is. I posted another question that I think has something to do with it. Could someone explain it to me. Keep in mind I don't speak geek.

Answer 1

The paper, "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light",[5] proposed the idea of energy quanta. This idea, motivated by Max Planck's earlier derivation of the law of black-body radiation, assumes that luminous energy can be absorbed or emitted only in discrete amounts, called quanta. Einstein states,

Energy, during the propagation of a ray of light, is not continuously distributed over steadily increasing spaces, but it consists of a finite number of energy quanta localised at points in space, moving without dividing and capable of being absorbed or generated only as entities.
In explaining the photoelectric effect, the hypothesis that energy consists of discrete packets, as Einstein illustrates, can be directly applied to black bodies, as well.

The idea of light quanta contradicts the wave theory of light that follows naturally from James Clerk Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic behavior and, more generally, the assumption of infinite divisibility of energy in physical systems.

A profound formal difference exists between the theoretical concepts that physicists have formed about gases and other ponderable bodies, and Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic processes in so-called empty space. While we consider the state of a body to be completely determined by the positions and velocities of an indeed very large yet finite number of atoms and electrons, we make use of continuous spatial functions to determine the electromagnetic state of a volume of space, so that a finite number of quantities cannot be considered as sufficient for the complete determination of the electromagnetic state of space.
[... this] leads to contradictions when applied to the phenomena of emission and transformation of light.
According to the view that the incident light consists of energy quanta [...], the production of cathode rays by light can be conceived in the following way. The body's surface layer is penetrated by energy quanta whose energy is converted at least partially into kinetic energy of the electrons. The simplest conception is that a light quantum transfers its entire energy to a single electron [...]
Even after experiments confirmed that Einstein's equations for the photoelectric effect were accurate, his explanation was not universally accepted. Niels Bohr, in his 1922 Nobel address, stated, "The hypothesis of light-quanta is not able to throw light on the nature of radiation."

By 1921, when Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize and his work on photoelectricity was mentioned by name in the award citation, some physicists accepted that the equation (hf = Φ + Ek) was correct and light quanta were possible. In 1923, Arthur Compton's X-ray scattering experiment helped more of the scientific community to accept this formula. The theory of light quanta was a strong indicator of wave-particle duality, a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics.[6] A complete picture of the theory of photoelectricity was realized after the maturity of quantum mechanics.

Answer 2

Einstien's Theory of relativity is just that. It is a theory, which means it has niether proven, nor disproven to be true. To him and alot of other scientists, the theory makes conceptual sense.

The actual equation:

Energy (E) = Mass(m) x Speed of Light (C) ^2

By the way,

^2 means "squared " and that , my friend, is just the C that is squared in this equation.

So, that is the actual equation but conceptualy (sorry about crappy spelling), it means this:

Say you were moving at close to the speed of light. You, as an object, have a mass. i.e. all of the tiny partacles of matter that your body is made of. From my understanding Via Engineering Physics 2, your matter or mass turns to energy once you accelerate to the speed of light.

Again, this is Einstien's THEORY. Most people take this to be a truth however in the scientific world, it must be proven or diproven to become something other than an idea(theory) and since we have yet to achieve travel at the speed of light, this concept is still a hypothesis. I hope I helped I'm new at this. Seems pretty cool. If you want to reply , my name is Heather and my e-mail is ezg669@yahoo

Answer 3

Don't worry. I flunked Geek in College. Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" was actually postulated in two ways. One, called "General Relativity", and the other, "Special Relativity".

To set it up in your mind, Einstein tells us that he formulated the concept of General Relativity while dreaming of riding a lightning bolt through space. Can you picture that? What would happen to you? What would you experience?
and more importantly...Why?

And this: E=mc2. Basically, and I am no physicist, this famous formula is Einstein's way of saying that energy (E), such as the lightning bolt, might be created by accelerating an object having mass (m) toward the speed of visible light (c, or actually, 186,000 miles per second) until the object must actually become energy. Had Einstein ridden the lighning bolt through the vacuum of space, his body would have been transformed into light or other energy. That is as basic as that gets.

Theories of general relativity have to do with what happens within the fabric of gravity, space, and time that is thought to compose the universe. In general:

1. The more mass an object has, the more gravity it creates because it exerts greater force on this sheet of space and time criscrossing at infinite points within the universe. Earth has greater gravity than the moon (six times) because it has six times more mass.

2. The faster a massive object travels throught this fabric, the greater the distortion it causes to space, time, and objects on the fabric.

3. That we cannot separate the ideas of space and time. When an object is propelled through space-time at speeds steadily approaching "c", or the speed of light, it bends the fabric of space-time, and time passes more slowly around the object than it does AT the object. It is important to understand that all of this depends on the belief that there is nothing in the universe faster than light, and therefore, only light energy can travel that fast. Since this answer to your question is so shallow and incomplete, I would recommend that you go find a copy of the book, "A Brief History of Time", by Professor Stephen Hawking. Hawking, considered the most ingenious and creative "Einstein" alive today, won the Britannica Medal for taking his knowledge of this hugely complex subject and bringing it down to the understanding of the average man. Compared to his book, my answer is pretty incomplete. Still, I hope I helped.

Answer 4

Read at specialrelativityquantaphysics.com..by r.kawecki...it will explain what relativity is not. But relativity is modern physics. Developed by Albert Einstein in 1905. He illustrates how light forms how fast anything can travel at anytime. Along with that - relativity is the measure of atom...particles and their measure. Accordingly. Einstein claims nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. But that analogy has been predeceased in a theory called ' Quanta Physics Theory ' developed by R.kawecki 2005.
Relativity is the foundation of modern twentieth century science.

Answer 5

The key word is "relativity". This means that things are relative to one's point of view, and as a consequence, that what your perceptions are, they apply to your view of the universe, irrespective of what other observer may percieve. In the end, this means that there are no priviledge position in the universe, that I can say you move and that I am fixed, while you can equally claim that I am the one moving whie you are immobile, and BOTH those views are just as valid as one another.
This has important consequences, notably because the speed of light has to be a constant no matter who measures it. If I am on a rocket that travels at 99% the speed of light, and I shine a beam of light from the back of the rocket to the front, I should still measure it to be 299792458 m/s. But you are on a planet, "immobile" and you see me measuring the speed of light, and by your own measurement, when I fire the beam of light and wehn that beam of light reaches my detector, your clock and your measurmeent of the distance travelled would also measure light to travel at 299792458 m/s. So, time has to have been affected, and sure enough, if I can measure your clock, I would swear it is running slow. But you, looking at me from your ship porthole, would also be convinced that MY clock is running slow.

The other consequences of relativity is that it makes no difference if I am accelerating in a rocket, of if I am accelerated just standing on the surface of a planet with strong gravitation.

If I can make a suggestion, try to locate the book "Relativity: the Special and the General Theory" by some dude named Albert Einstein. The book is very affordable (like $9), and is suprisingly easy to understand (and people would go Wow! seeing what you are reading AND understanding. Just try to look casual...).

Answer 6

The fundamental quantities length, mass and time are not absolute. They are relative to the observer's speed.

One who is at rest relative to another will find that in the moving observer's frame of reference, the length is shortened and time moves slowly and mass increases.

For the other observer, since he thinks that all are moving except himself, he will say the same.

But for all of them, the velocity of light will be measured as the same.

Therefore we can say these fundamental quantities are not absolute but are relative except the speed of light.


This is the theory of relativity.

By various experiments and by astronomical observations this theory has been well proved.

Answer 7

There are two: the Special theory deals with the effects of high velocity approaching the speed of light; the General theory deals with effects produced by gravity.

Answer 8

The formula is E=mc2, which basically means that a mass (m) or weight that travels at the speed of light (c2) will be converted to energy (E), and that it cannot be reversed. So, if you (the mass) were able to run as fast as the speed of light, your body would turn into a form of energy, and then, it would be too late for you, because you wouldn't be able to slow down again to become the body you once were.

Answer 9

Essentially it's that the speed of light is the same for every observer no matter where they are in the universe.

Answer 10

It's simple really. The theory is, "time is relavant to the observer" I'll be happy to explain it morein ane-mail or on IM.