Boss
Last Activity: 9 Years ago
he special theory of relativity was based on two main postulates: first, that the speed of light
is constant for all observers; and second, that observers moving at constant speeds should be subject to the same physical laws. Following this logic, Einstein theorized that time must change according to the speed of a moving object
relative to the frame of reference of an observer. Scientists have tested this theory through experimentation - proving, for example, that an atomic clock ticks more slowly when traveling at a high speed than it does when it is not moving. The essence of Einstein's paper was that both space and time are relative (rather than absolute), which was said to hold true in a special case, the absence of a gravitational field. Relativity was a stunning concept at the time; scientists all over the world debated the veracity of Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2, which implied that matter and energy were equivalent and, more specifically, that a single particle of matter could be converted into a huge quantity of energy. However, since the special theory of relativity only held true in the absence of a gravitational field, Einstein strove for 11 more years to work gravity into his equations and discover how relativity might work generally as well.