CarolineS

Einstein's Theory of Relativity



Albert Einstein was one of the most widely-known philosophers and scientists ever to walk this planet. One of the many things Einstein decided to study in his lifetime was physics. In 1905, he published his Special Theory of Relativity, and in 1915, he published his General Theory of Relativity (Special Relativity). These 2 theories were unlike anything that anyone had ever created before. In them he states that the laws of physics and science are the same for all observers, no matter what their speed may be. The same goes for the velocity of light, it is constant for the observer, regardless of their speed. These ideas were put out into the open to improve the natural basis of science. They soon had people curious and confused, wondering what exactly this exceedingly intelligent man could possibly mean by them (Special Relativity). Today, they are still evident in society, slowly but surely being deciphered by the scientific brains of our time. Not only did Einstein cause an uproar in his time, but his discoveries lead to many improvements of our world today. Einstein's Theory of Relativity has impacted the world of science today through navigation systems, nuclear power and weapons, and the way people approach science and theory.
 * Background Information**

Navigation technology, such as GPS systems, is a prime example of how Einstein's theory is impacted society. Global Positioning Systems, better known as GPS devices, were first created by the United States Department of Defense to provide satellites for the U.S. military. The popularity of these devices grew, and eventually gained a commercial status. United States civilians can now purchase and use them for their own benefit. There are 24 satellites that circle the earth and work as a system. These satellites orbit the earth at approximately 14,000 kilometers per hour, allowing 4 satellites to constantly been seen visible to earth at the same time (Pogge). Each satellite holds an atomic clock that "ticks" every nanosecond. They are used in cars and planes to project the exact readings of position, speed, and direction. Einstein can be thanked for this extremely valuable invention. Due to the fact that the satellites are in constant movement, and so is Earth, accuracy must be considered. This is because of effects done by the general theory of relativity. A person observing the satellites above views them in motion relative to them as moving more slowly due to special relativity. Special relativity states that atomic clocks on the GPS satellites should slow Earth's clocks down by 7 microseconds. The theory of general relativity states that locks closer to a massive object will seem to tick more slowly due than those located further away. These differences in speed are extremely important when constructing a GPS system. Without these conclusions drawn from Einstein's theory, these GPS systems could present false information that could be as far up to 2 minutes off (Pogge). Also, global positioning could be thrown off. Without the theory of general relativity, this technology could not be constructed with such accuracy as it is.
 * Navigation Systems**

The Theory of Relativity has played a huge part in the construction of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Velocity changes from one reference to the next, which means that concepts of velocity are relative (Arora). Momentum, or motion energy plays a huge role in this. Momentum cannot be conserved under special relativity. This only means that relativistic momentum was waiting to be discovered. Relativistic momentum is conserved when an object is included with the momentum in a equation. This is where the famous equation E=mc^2 comes into place. There is equivalence between mass and energy. Energy being created in nuclear reactions for many years led to the creation of nuclear power and weapons. It has been proven through research that adding more energy to an object does not make it accelerate because the speed of light is the limit. Instead, the energy has to be added to the mass of the object (Arora). The mass goes up with increased velocity. This equivalence proven through Einstein's Theory of Relativity allowed philosophers to find out that the photon has momentum as well. This discovery has been proven to allow the development of light sails and photoelectric detectors. In addition to that, developments in nuclear energy have taken years to realize but have improved our society. Again, because of Einstein's early discoveries, these advancements were able to happen.
 * Nuclear Power and Weapons**

Einstein's Theory of Relativity has also changed the way people have come to approach science and theory. Because of Einstein, people look at science in a whole new light. He planted ideas in millions of people's heads of things people did not even think of in their wildest day dreams. Also, because of his theories, many other theories and ideas that scientists thought were set in stone and 100% accurate are now being questioned or even looked down upon. Moral philosophy has been turned upside-down. Before Einstein came up with this theory, other philosophers and scientists tried to say that there were absolute, non-arguable, set in stone and completely accurate answers and ways of life. Einstein changed that. He opened up millions of doors, flooded many brains with questions, and created an uproar. Einstein’s work created new branches of study in physics and revolutionize astronomy, the impact on daily life, philosophy, and society are much more importanto this day, people still wonder, ponder, question and debate whether or not the his theories are true (Arora).
 * New Approach to Science and Theory**

Who knew 3 simple letters, "e, m and c," could have such an impact on society. One hundred years later, and Einstein's theory is as popular as a top of the chart pop song. Through GPS systems, nuclear power and weapons, and simply the way our minds think, his theory is being implemented in our everyday lives. Without the Theory of Relativity, we could be getting lost or thrown off track. We could be using up all of our natural resources as an even quicker rate than we are already. We could also be stuck on a one-way track of thinking, never letting our minds expand. Who knows that the future will bring in terms of relativity. However, thanks to Einstein giving the world something to start with, people will soon find out.

Arora, Hans. "Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Implications Beyond Science? — Science in Society." __Home — Science in Society__. 5 Feb. 2009 . //This site helped me further my understanding of Einstein's Theory of Relativity. This siteprovided examples of how the theory is being implemented in today's world. I believe this is a credible site because it is provided by Northwestern University.//
 * Works Cited**

Pogge, Richard. "GPS and Relativity." __The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy__. 15 Dec. 2004. 5 Feb. 2009 . //This website offers information on the way that the theory of relativity influences GPS systems. It gives a clear explaination of how GPS systems work. I picked this site because it gave me valuable information and it is credible because it was provided by Ohio State, which is a credible college.//

"Theory: Special Relativity (SLAC VVC)." __SLAC Public Website Server__. 31 Oct. 2008. 5 Feb. 2009 . //This site is referred to as a "Virtual Visitor Center" that breaks down Einstein's Theory of Relativity into user-friendly terms. Although this site does not have videos, it has a plethora of information, nicely broken up by subheadings. It also provides information on related topic. This site is credible because it is referenced through Standford University, along with other legitimate organizations that credit the information given.//