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** Theory of Relativity **

The Theory of Relativity, researched and suggested by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century, helps to explain astronomy, gravity and the speed of light.



In the late decades of the 20th century, Albert Einstein announced his theory of relativity that shocked the public who did not know of anything about space or why gravity was present. Today, his theory continues to answer questions such as the exsistence of black holes and certain studies in cosmology. The interesting facts is that we, as humans, think that space and time relate directly to each other, and that it is a fixed substance, but in all actuality space and its features can change, expand or put pressure on certain objects as it moves over a certain amount of time. But you are probably asking, why do we study relativity or why is it around? The answer is that when objects are either moving in a field with a strong gravitational pull or they are moving with the speed of light, we have to measure and examine these topics in respect to relativity. However, relativity does not play a huge role in everyday life, so many people do not study it or even know about Einstein and his magnificent findings. It may seem odd to think of objects moving at the speed of light, but after many years of in-depth researching, scientists and scholars alike believe this is the most accurate depiction of relativity. For example, many know astronomy as how the stars work and the plants rotate, but the Theory of Relativity allows us to take a deeper look into this unknown world. Space, however, and its relation to an object are curved, and we automatically think that space is flat because it is hard for us to see things in three-dimensional standpoints. Gravity is another important aspect that occurs everyday, but we know little about or even notice that it is happening. When we walk on the ground, it is en equal yet opposite force because we are putting pressure on the ground as we walk with our mass and yet the ground is pushing back up on us. Another interesting aspect of this theory is the speed of light and that it is the same for any observer, no matter where their location or motion(Theory: Special Relativity). This is refferred to as a "reference point," or where the universe moves in reference to light. The Theory of Relativity may be confusing and too abstract to understand, but if you break it down into sections, the concepts that come along allow you to understand this famous concept just a little bit more.

The study of astronomy was once a difficult subject to mankind, but now more and more people are understanding its workings and functioning. According to Ask an Astronomer, the gravity in space can bend or shape light, so that the light particles cannot escape in their motion (Curios About Astronomy). More specifically, Einstein was curious about the orbit of Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. For some time, scientists believed that another planet's orbit (named Vulcan at the time) was pulling on Mercury, but Einstein proved them wrong (Curious About Astronomy). In space, curved time near massive objects makes time go slower, which also affects the frequency of light waves and the color. Usually, the color changes to a blue shade as light approaches a massive object and then turns red as it travels away from it (Curious About Astronomy). Scientist Robert Pound and Glen Rebka made this theory true, modeled after Einstein's, after they experimented with Gamma Rays and shot them up from Earth and watched them change into different colors as they moved away. In recent years however, scientists continue to use Einstein's theory to understand cosmology, or how the universe is structured.



Gravity, or the force in which mass is pulled to the center of the earth, but Einstein believed this differently. He thought that gravity was not a force, but a curvature of time and space caused by a massive object such as Earth (Curious About Astronomy). Say if something moves by that object, the object will move with the moving object, but really it isn't being pulled at all. It is really moving along a straight line that looks curved due to space's gravity shaping it. For example, when looking at the Earth, it is flattened out, not three-dimensional. You would expect the lines of the Earth to be straight, but they are actually curved. It is just like we are looking into space because we see space as flat, not a three-dimensional object (Curious About Astronomy).

Finally, one of the most important aspects of relativity is the speed of light. As the Earth rotates around the Sun, you would except as it changes directions for its speed to change as well, but that is not the truth. It is really always the same (Curious About Astronomy). Einstein knew this could be true, but also knew that if the speed of light was changing, so were objects around it. Length and time are two important values with relation to relativity and Einstein proved that is does not matter your position or lenght of time it takes for an object to move to understand its relative speed (Curious About Astronomy). In this case we can find //c,// the speed of light in nature easily. The speed of light is the same for all observers, no matter their position or location ( Theory:Special Relativity). Some may still be confused thought about the speed of light and how it is relative even if two different people measuring in object in motion can acquire different time measurements. The Virtual Visitor Center makes it easier for us to understand with one of their examples: Take two people and put them in two seperate spaceships moving together with the speed of light. Both ships have a clock and meter stick handy. Each induvidual will see that their partner's meter stick is shorter in relation to their own, also known as length contraction. Also, they will discover that the clocks in their spaceship seem to be moving faster than their partners in the other ship. This is known as time dialation (Theory:Special Relativity). This example explains that in all actuality that both ships are moving at the same speed and rate.

The Theory of Relativity has helped scientists in the past and present understand astronomy, rules of gravitation and the concept of speed of light. Astronomy, the study of space, is a complicated subject but relativity has explained curved light particles and the reasoning behind black holes and its colors. In relation to gravity, we get a better understanding that gravity is not a real force, but a curavture of time and space. After examining the speed of light, Einstein suggested that the speed of light is constant no matter where an observer is standing, and that length and time are the factors that change in the equation. All the detailed aspects of the Theory of Relativity are confusing, but with the help of these specific areas we can understand a little bit more about physics and encourages us to keep exploring this never ending topic.

Works Cited:

"Curious About Astronomy? The Theory of Relativity." __Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer__. 21 Mar. 2008. 5 Feb. 2009

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This site gives a background of Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity. It discusses applications of relativity and quantum physics. Also this site talks about astronomy and how relativity relates to it. This website is credible because it has en email address where you can contact its supervisors if any concerns.They also provide a glossary that allows you to look up new words.

"Theory: Special Relativity: (SLAC VVC)."__Virtual Visitor Center__. 31 Oct. 2008. 7 Feb. 2008

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On this site, a viewer can find different elements of the Theory of Relativity, momentum, speed of light and equations for various concepts. The organization that contructs this site gives you great examples with scentific findings. Also, they have a great glossary for words that are essential that you may not know about the Theory of Relativity. This is a credible site because these are professional scientists who work for the U.S. Department of Energy and Standford Univeristy. Also, they have another website about their organization explaining what they do, and provide an email address that allow you to contact them if you have any questions or concerns about the website.