could not see out any of the windows, would you be able to tell if you were moving or not? Special Relativity Special Relativity vs General Relativity • In 1905, Albert Einstein developed his Theory of Special Relativity – How we move through a space changes on how we move through time • Special relativity refers to motion through a space at constant velocity • General relativity refers to accelerated motion through a space Space-Time • Einstein reasoned that space and time are two parts of one whole called space-time • From the viewpoint of special relativity, we travel through a combination space and time – When we stand still, we are only traveling through the time portion of space-time – When we move a bit, we travel through both aspects of space-time Space-Time • If we could somehow travel through space at the speed of light, no time would elapse in our own perspective • Whenever we move through space, we alter our rate of moving through time – Time Dilation: The stretching of time an object experiences as it approaches the speed of light Summary of Space-TIme When you stand still, you are traveling at the maximum rate in time: 24 hours per day If you traveled at the maximum rate through space (the speed of light), time would stand still Motion is Relative • Whenever we discuss motion, we must pick a reference point – Usually we refer to motion relative to the surface of the earth – Example: On a bus, you may travel 0 mi/h relative to the seat, but 60 mi/h relative to the road outside • Speed is a relative quantity, meaning its value changes based on location, or frame of reference Motion is Relative • The speed of an object coming from a moving reference frame: – Add the speed of the object itself to the speed of the reference frame
vball = 40 mph (relative to the ground)
vtruck = 0 mph (relative to the ground) Catcher catches ball at 40 mph Motion is Relative • The speed of an object coming from a moving reference frame: – Add the speed of the object itself to the speed of the reference frame
vball = 40 mph (relative to the ground)
vtruck = 20 mph (relative to the ground) Catcher catches ball at 60 mph Motion is Relative • The speed of an object coming from a moving reference frame: – Add the speed of the object itself to the speed of the reference frame
vball = 40 mph (relative to the ground)
vtruck = -20 mph (opposite direction of ball) Catcher catches ball at 20 mph The Speed of Light is Constant • Light does not behave like the baseball thrown from the truck • No matter what the speed of the source of the light, light will always travel toward an observer at the same speed – If light is a constant, then space and time must be a single unit – Altering the rate of one will alter the rate of the other The Speed of Light is Constant • The speed of light is found to be the same in all frames of reference, moving or not • Represented by the variable, c • c = 3x108 m/s (in a vacuum) Postulates of Special Relativity • First Postulate: All laws of nature are the same in all uniformly moving frames of reference – i.e. The behavior of a coin when flipped on a plane that is moving at constant velocity is no different than if flipped while standing still • No experiment confined in the moving reference frame itself can determine whether or not there is uniform motion Postulates of Special Relativity • Second Postulate: The speed of light, c, in empty space will always have the same value regardless of the motion of the source or observer.