EmilyM

The Theory of Relativity, observed by Albert Einstein, is separtated into Special Relativity, that describes the behavior of objects when it become closer to the speed of light and General Relativity which explains that gravity affects space and time. In 1905, a man by the name of Einstein thought the idea of time and light were interlocked. He also came up with the idea that mass and speed interlock with each other as well. He was born in German Empire and first worked at a post office. It was here that he bagan to look at speed and time in a different perpective. He lived in many countries, all in which had him think of a new idea. He is to be named the father of physics.

According to SLAC, "Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity describes the motion of particles moving at close to the speed of light." Einstein states that wherever a person's frame of reference is, light will have different sightings. The person moving at a faster speed will notice that time is moving slower than a person at rest. "If I am driving down the freeway at 50 miles per hour relative to the road, a car traveling in the same direction at 55 mph has a speed of only 5 mph relative to me, while a car coming in the opposite direction at 55 mph approaches me at a rate of 105 mph. Their speed relative to me depends on my motion as well as on theirs. "(SLAC). The first part of the special theory of relativity states that objects will shrink when traveling near the speed of light.

The second part of Special Relativity discusses that objects traveling near the speed of light will increase in mass. The most famous idea is E=mc2. This is stating that energy can be converted into mass and mass can be converted into energy. Its stating also that mass at rest has the same amount of energy as the same object that is moving. Everything is made up of an abundant amount of energy. All matter has an unbelievable amount of energy. For example, take a pen, and if someone could split all the energy from it, there would be an incredible explosion. SLAC adds, "even in chemical processes there are tiny changes in mass which correspond to the energy released or absorbed in a process. When chemists talk about conservation of mass, they mean that the sum of the masses of the atoms involved does not change. However, the masses of molecules are slightly smaller than the sum of the masses of the atoms they contain (which is why molecules do not just fall apart into atoms). If we look at the actual molecular masses, we find tiny mass changes do occur in any chemical reaction." General Theory of Relativity explains how there is an orbit in space and explains gravity. Its says that there an object's mass creates a curve in space. The other masses around are pulled into it and spin around and around. Its almost like putting a bowlong ball on a trampoline and then throwing small balls, which would create a circle, or an orbit around the bowling ball. Einstein said that that is how there is gravity in between the planets, which are pulled to the sun. This general relativity theory opens a gateway to black holes and ripples in space, known as gavitational waves. According to NOVA, "Einstein proposed that distance and time are not absolute."

Albert Einstein gave the world of physics a new outlook on the subject with his special theory of relativity and his general theory of relativity. Hes states an object traveling near the speed of light experiences the passage of time more slowly than other objects. An object traveling near the speed of light is dramatically shrunken in the direction of travel, as measured by an outside observer. An object traveling near the speed of light increases in mass and that energy can become mass and mass can become energy: E=mc2, he also says, in the general theory of relativity, gravity affects space and time; "basically it depicts how space is curved by the presence of a mass, and that the curvature affects other masses, altering their trajectories, and can even affect the path light", according to NOVA. Scientists have studied what Einstein said and the data matches up so far.

Work Cited

Lightman, A. "Relativity and Cosmos." NOVA Science Programming on Air and Online. June 2005. PBS Publications. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/relativity/

"Special Relativity." __SLAC__. 21 10 2008. 30 Jan 2009 <http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/theory/relativity.html