jennag

Einstein's theory of relativity became a major breakthrough in scientific thinking and has further proved many theories that physicists have about the universe.   = =  __What is the Theory of Relativity?__   The Theory of Relativity means that nothing can travel faster than light and that objects that try to move real fast will be observed to run slowly, get smaller along their direction of motion and gain mass. __Special Relativity__ Special Relativity is a theory of the structure of spacetime. The ideas were developed by Albert Einstein in his 1905 paper "On The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" Special relativity follows two scientific postulates:

-Regardless of the differences in relative motion or of the motion of the source of light, the speed of light in a vaccum is the same for all observers.

- Like the Galileo principle of relativity, the laws of physics are the same for all observers in unison motion relative to one another. The equivalence principle is that gravity pulling in one direction is completely equivalent to an acceleration in the opposite direction. If gravity is equivalent to acceleration, and if motion affects measurements of time and space (as shown in special relativity), then it follows that gravity does so as well. <span style="color: #c20f0f; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif�31�;"> __<span style="color: #f425e2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">What can special relativity be applied to? __  <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">-Two events going on at the same time for one oberserver may not be simultaneous for the other observer unless both obeservers are in relative motion <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">-A car accelerating forwards feels just like sideways gravity pushing you back against your seat. An elevator accelerating upwards feels just like gravity pushing you into the floor. <span style="font-size: 180%; color: #0022ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">

<span style="font-size: 160%; color: #fa42d4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">__General Relativity__ <span style="font-size: 140%; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed in 1915 also by Einstein. Many steps were taken to uncover all the truth about general relativity. The process began with the equivalence principle that states being at rest in a gravitational field and accelerated motion are the same physically.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif�46�;"><span style="font-size: 180%; color: #0022ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #eb2dd4; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">From these ideas...  <span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Albert Einstein conducted an experiment that had officially confirmed that light rays from distant stars were deflected in just the right amount that he had predicted in general relativity. This became a major breakthrough in history because it was the first theory related to gravity since Issac Newton's observations more than 250 years earlier. . Many of the predictions of general relativity, such as the bending of starlight by gravity and a tiny shift in the orbit of the planet Mercury, have been quantitatively confirmed by experiment. From this point on, Einstein and others had enough information about the theory to begin to apply it to gravity's affect on the universe as a whole. The Big Bang Theory was formulated by a Russian scientist based off of equations of general relativity and found a solution to those equations in which the universe began in a state of extremely high density and temperature and then expanded in time. <span style="font-size: 180%; color: #0022ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e53eb3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif�54�;"><span style="font-size: 180%; color: #ff00e3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">In summary... <span style="color: #050505; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> <span style="font-size: 180%; color: #0022ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #030202; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">General Relativity could respectably be called one of the greatest leaps of the scientific imagination through history. Unlike many previous scientific breakthroughs, general relativity had little foundation upon the theories <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">or experiments of the time. Because of Einstein's observations, experiments, and the creation of his theory, many other scientific theories have stemmed and have been proven. Many physicists believe that without Einstein, it could have been decades later before another physicist worked on the concepts of general relativity. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">   <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Works Cited: "Special Relativity". __Virtual Visitor Center.__ 31 Oct. 2008. 5 Feb 2009. < <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/theory/relativity.html <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">>. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">This informative website geared towards students allows the student to ask questions about the theory of relativity directly to a professor from Standford University, who will then answer the question in terms simple enough for a student to understand. Great exmaples are provided, and so are applications of the theory of relativity as they pertain to our society, so this website was easy to relate to. It was very unbiased and credible.

"Einstein's Theory". __Science in Society.__ 20 Nov. 2008. 6 Feb 2009. <http://scienceinsociety.northwestern.edu/>.

This site really explained the theory of relativity by stating the differnt theories. It explained momentum and the speed of light. Also how energy and mass are interchangeable. I thought that this was a credible site because there was no biased option.