We explain what the theory of relativity is and what are the two theories that make it up. Also, who was Albert Einstein.
What is the Theory of Relativity?
It is known as the Theory of Relativity or even Einstein's Theory, the set of scientific formulations developed at the beginning of the 20th century by the physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Its objective was to resolve the theoretical incompatibility that exists between the two main fields of physics: Newtonian mechanics and electromagnetism.
These formulations were published as two different scientific theories:
- Theory of special relativity (1905) A treatise on the physics of the movement of bodies in the absence of gravitational forces or gravity, where Maxwell's equations referring to electromagnetism were compatible with those of Newton referring to movement.
- Theory of general relativity (1915) A theoretical approach to gravity and both inertial and non-inertial reference systems. It generalizes the theory of special relativity and replaces Newtonian gravity in cases where gravitational fields are very strong.
The basic foundations of the Theory of Relativity can be summarized in that the location in space and time (referred to as space-time, a kind of four-dimensional matrix proposed by Hermann Minkowski) of a given phenomenon will always depend on the speed at which the observer moves.
Or put in simpler terms: that Things can be perceived very differently depending on the observer's point of view even in relation to dimensions that until now were thought to be absolute, such as time or space.
This, which on the surface seems like something simple, allowed us to rethink the way in which contemporary physics understood time and space. Furthermore, it opened the door to a whole series of new equations around phenomena that, initially, seem to contradict common sense.
Among these phenomena, spatial contraction, time dilation, and the universal limit of speed (equivalent to the speed of light) stand out. On the other hand, Einstein discovered the equivalence between mass and energy which he expressed in the famous formula E = mc 2 (energy equals mass times velocity squared).
See also: Quantum mechanics
Importance of the Theory of Relativity
Einstein's Theories they refounded modern physics. They were quickly adopted by all the great centers of thought and study of physics in the world.
They also had an important impact on philosophy, since among other things denied the existence of absolute time and they allowed us to think, in serious terms, about matters that were once exclusive to fantasy and daydreaming, such as the manipulation of time or high-speed space travel.
Although its specific explanation may be tedious or complicated, it is worth highlighting that The theory of relativity has been proven. In fact, it has been put into practice in matters as complex as atomic energy (atomic bombs, for example).
Furthermore, there is evidence of the slight but undeniable differences in aging and the passage of time that occur between astronauts and inhabitants of Earth, given that the latter, being more subject to the planet's gravity, live through time more quickly.
Einstein's theories allowed the emergence of cosmology which is a branch of physics dedicated to determining the conditions of origin of the universe. His observations on the curvature of light were publicly verified in 1919, during a solar eclipse.
Albert Einstein Biography
Albert Einstein born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879. Son of Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch, a family of Jewish descent, it is said that your intellectual development it was late and as a child he was notoriously slow to express himself, which made his parents think he had some kind of mental retardation.
As a child he was shy, patient and methodical. Later he demonstrated a notable talent for the natural sciences, despite never having been a brilliant student. The rigidity of the German educational system in the imperial era always worked against him and it is said that he had some altercations with the authorities.
He graduated as a mathematics and physics teacher, and his first wife was the radical feminist Mileva Marić. His genius went unnoticed and wasted until at the beginning of the 20th century he published his first essays on physics.
The brilliance of his contributions to the field did not prevent him from being afraid of the anti-Semitic policies proclaimed by the German Nazi regime (which later came to power in 1933). For that reason Einstein fled to the United States in 1932 along with his second wife, his cousin Eva Loewenthal.
In the United States he obtained nationalization and continued his studies, focused on a theory that unified the four fundamental interactions of nature. But this work remained unfinished.
At the age of 76, Einstein suffered an aneurysm in the abdominal aorta and died April 18, 1955 at Princeton Hospital. His body was cremated that same day. Previously, the hospital pathologist removed his brain, without the family's permission, in order to preserve it for future studies regarding his incredible intelligence.
References
- “Theory of relativity” on Wikipedia.
- “Special theory of relativity” (video) in CuriosaMente.
- “Einstein's Theory of Relativity explained in four simple steps” in National Geographic.
- “Special Relativity” in the Digital Library of the Latin American Institute of Educational Communication.
- “The legacy of Albert Einstein: the Theory of Relativity” in Very Interesting.
- “Einstein's Theory of General Relativity” on Space.com.
