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 = THEORY OF RELATIVITY: ALBERT EINSTEIN =



The foundation of physics is based on the Theory of Relativity. If it were to be disproved, our course as well as our understanding of gravity and the universe would be dramatically altered.

Background
The Theory of Relativity was developed and later published by Albert Einstein in 1915. This theory is broken up into two; the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity. The Special Theory of Relativity deals with the effects relativity has on objects that that are moving at the speed of light, but not moving in a strong gravitational field. The General Theory of Relativity deals with objections moving in a strong gravitational field and at the speed of light. Both explain behavior of matter energy, space and time. In order to formulate his theories, Einstein used the ideas of Galileo as well as Newton. Galileo contributed Galilean relativity, and Newton his laws of motion. His theories explained problems in physics of his day, so they were accepted, but caused us to disregard some of the common sense notions we previously had about physics and astronomy.

Relativity and Physics
The Theory of Relativity explains many phenomena that occur in our universe. It is the foundation off of which physics is based **(Dine 1)**. It describes happenings so strange that people have trouble wrapping their minds around them. For example, Galilean relativity, later used for the Theory of Relativity, explains that if you were in a ship traveling at a constant velocity as compared to one that was stationary, you wouldn't know the difference as long as you were unable to see your outside surroundings. If it were to be rejected, it would alter the way we see everything in physics. Our equations would be much different, and research may not have come this far. What sort of confusion would arise if we went into space unknowing of the effects of traveling at the speed of light? Chaos. Even the scientists that led up to the formation of the Theory of Relativity would be in question. What would the world be like if theories of Galileo, Newton and Einstein couldn't be trusted? This way, we have a way to explain weird happenings such as the ship example. Without the theory, we wouldn't even have that.

Relativity and Gravity
Learning about gravity in science classes right now is a breeze, but what about in times before the Theory of Relativity? Not so much. Scientists were puzzled at how gravity affected matter **(Curious About Relativity? par. 8)**. They knew it was weird, but not why. An example of a happening they were perplexed by is how two objects of different mass reach the ground at the same time if dropped from the same height. The Theory of Relativity explains that gravity is not a force, but a curvature of time, a theme that appears a lot in his theory. This curvature occurs because of how large the mass of the Earth is compared to the masses you dropped. Technically, the objects are moving at the same rate as they are w hen falling, while staying stationary. Einstein's thoughts on gravity were revolutionary for the time. If his theory was disproved, gravity would still perplex us as it did before Einstein's time.

Relativity and the Universe
Many interesting happenings in space are explained by the Theory of Relativity.

[[image:gravity.jpg width="228" height="177" align="right" caption="The Gravitations force of the Earth"]]
Some examples are black holes, and h ow time is affected in space. Time in space is warped such that a person falling into a black h ole in space will appear to be stationary here on Earth. An experiment on the PBS NOVA site provides an interesting stimulation which shows how someone living on Earth ages faster than someone flying at light speed in space **(Lisle)**. For example, someone traveling 914 light years away will get to their destination at 5221 years old while the person still on earth would be 6025 years old.

It's amazing how far we've taken the Theory of Relativity. Rejecting it would take us back to square one. We'd have to make a completely new set of theories, equations and explanations of the phenomena that occur around us. Einstein's Theory of Relativity have greatly affected the way we explain what goes on around us. His theory is the basic foundation of physics and helped scientists understand the concept of gravity and time and space in the universe as well. Without it, we'd be at a loss of how to wrap our head around these topics. We've made so much progress in the last century that it is obvious there's more to come. Space travel is just the beginning, maybe someday we'll travel into numerous different galaxies even universes!