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Jpolisa
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Yes... Can someone please explain the relativity theory to me in as much simple terms as possible. It's really way in over my head. Thanks.
It's impossible to explain SR simply in a few forum posts. Have you tried googling for videos on "simple explanation of relativity", or similar. There's lots of them. You just need to find one that's pitched at your level.Jpolisa said:Can someone please explain the relativity theory to me in as much simple terms as possible.
The speed of light is invariant across all inertial reference frames.Jpolisa said:Yes... Can someone please explain the relativity theory to me in as much simple terms as possible. It's really way in over my head. Thanks.
This is much too broad a question for a PF thread. As others have said, you need to take the time to work through a good textbook. Taylor & Wheeler's Spacetime Physics is often recommended.Jpolisa said:Can someone please explain the relativity theory to me in as much simple terms as possible. It's really way in over my head.
Relativity Theory, developed by Albert Einstein, is a framework for understanding how space and time are connected. It consists of two parts: Special Relativity and General Relativity. Special Relativity deals with objects moving at constant speeds, especially close to the speed of light, while General Relativity explains how gravity affects the fabric of space-time.
Special Relativity is a theory that describes how time and space are linked for objects moving at a constant speed in a straight line. It introduced the idea that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers and that the speed of light is the same no matter who measures it. One of its key insights is that time can slow down or speed up depending on how fast you are moving relative to something else.
General Relativity is a theory of gravitation that describes gravity not as a force but as a curvature of space-time caused by mass and energy. According to this theory, massive objects like planets and stars warp the space-time around them, and this curvature affects the motion of other objects, which we perceive as gravity.
Relativity affects time through a concept known as time dilation. In Special Relativity, time slows down for objects moving at high speeds relative to a stationary observer. In General Relativity, time runs slower in stronger gravitational fields. For example, a clock closer to a massive object like Earth will tick slower compared to a clock further away.
The speed of light is crucial in relativity because it is the ultimate speed limit of the universe. In Special Relativity, it is the constant speed at which all observers, regardless of their motion, will measure light traveling. This constancy leads to the conclusion that space and time must adjust themselves to preserve the speed of light, resulting in phenomena like time dilation and length contraction.