Relativity Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Relativity?

Relativity is a theory in physics that explains how space and time are related to one another and how they are linked to matter and energy. The theory was created by Albert Einstein, who first published it in 1905. The two main components of relativity are the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity. The Special Theory of Relativity states that the laws of physics are identical for all observers regardless of their motion relative to each other, meaning that an observer’s physical measurements will be affected by their velocity. This is known as relativistic effects which can cause physical objects to move differently when observed from different frames of reference. For example, time slows down when a person moves at high speeds relative to another observer’s frame of reference. The General Theory of Relativity is an extension of the Special Theory which takes into account gravity as well as other forces like electromagnetism and weak nuclear forces. According to this theory, gravity is not just a force between two physical objects but rather it can be seen as a curvature in space-time itself caused by mass-energy interactions. This means that massive objects like stars or black holes can cause a distortion in space-time which affects light rays passing through them resulting in phenomena such as gravitational lensing or warping spacetime around them creating what we call warped spacetime geometry (einstein rings). Relativity has revolutionized our understanding about the universe we live in and has allowed us to make predictions about future observations with incredible accuracy for over 100 years now. It has also led us to explore more advanced theories such as quantum mechanics which explain phenomena even smaller than what relativity could describe with its classical models.