2007-02-04 05:38:23 · 2 answers · asked by pakiprincess920 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
GPS. We couldn't have it without relativity.
2007-02-04 06:33:10 · answer #1 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are 2 types of Relativity, Special and General.
General Relativity was developed between 1907 and 1915 and has more to do with gravity and how it affects objects. This resulted in consequences like the realization that light can be bent, which was confirmed in observations of gravitational lensing. Also it lead to the realization that the universe was expanding, and that space time can be distorted by bodies with large gravitational effects.
Special Relativity was proposed before General Relativity, in 1905, and has to more to do with light and electrodynamics. It basically replaced Newtons ideas of space and time. The most famous result of Special relativity is E=mc^2, which basically means that matter and energy are equivalent. The most famous result of that equation is the Atomic Bomb! It also states that the speed of light is constant, no matter what the speed of the observer. A consequence of this is that time and space become decoupled at relativistic speeds. It gets confusing beyond there so i'll stop.
But to sum up, Einsteins 2 theories are essentially the foundation of all modern physics and cosmology. Most modern physics research is a direct consequence of Einstein!
2007-02-04 14:12:17 · answer #2 · answered by Beach_Bum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋