How do you explain the theory of relativity to a child?

How do you explain the theory of relativity to a child?

General relativity says that planets do the same thing to space-time. They actually bend space and time around themselves. That’s why things fall towards the ground. They’re falling towards the middle of the Earth because Earth is pulling space-time towards itself.

What is a simple example of relativity?

A Relative Example One example of relativity is to imagine two people on a train playing ping-pong. The train is traveling at around 30 m/s north. When the ball is hit back and forth between the two players, the ball appears to the players to move north at a speed of around 2 m/s and then south at the speed of 2 m/s.

How is relativity used in everyday life?

GPS Navigators The Theory of Relativity, published by Einstein in 1915, explains why clocks on satellites are ahead of those on Earth by 38,000 nanoseconds. It doesn’t seem like much, but if these nanoseconds weren’t accounted for, GPS systems would be off by kilometers.

What is relativity in your own words?

Relativity is the word for how things only have importance in relation to other things. In physics, relativity refers to Einstein’s theory that time and space are not absolute. If you believe there are absolute, correct answers to everything, you probably don’t like relativity, which is the opposite of absolutism.

What are the 3 laws of Einstein?

I begin the discussion by offering the following three laws: ▸ The laws of physics are identical in all non-accelerating (that is, inertial) frames. ▸ The vacuum speed of light, c, is the same for all inertial frames. ▸ The total energy E of a body of mass m and momentum p is given by E=√m2c4+p2c2.

Why is Einstein’s theory of relativity important?

In the field of physics, relativity improved the science of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, along with ushering in the nuclear age. With relativity, cosmology and astrophysics predicted extraordinary astronomical phenomena such as neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational waves.

What is the truth about relativity?

1. The Truth About Relativity: The human mind uses comparative thinking to make decisions, comparing options on offer, and comparing ourselves to others – and this leads to irrational behavior.

Why do we need to study relativity?

Teaching how general relativity has overcome classical physics can help students to build bridges between physics, history, and philosophy. Eventually, this understanding might foster a critical awareness for the nature of science and its scope and limitations.

What is the main goal of general relativity?

General relativity has developed into an essential tool in modern astrophysics. It provides the foundation for the current understanding of black holes, regions of space where the gravitational effect is strong enough that even light cannot escape.

Is time a illusion?

According to theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, time is an illusion: our naive perception of its flow doesn’t correspond to physical reality. Indeed, as Rovelli argues in The Order of Time, much more is illusory, including Isaac Newton’s picture of a universally ticking clock.

What is Einstein’s greatest theory?

Albert Einstein is arguably the most influential scientist of the 20th century. His … general theory of relativity changed our understanding of space and time, becoming one of the two pillars of modern physics – the other being quantum mechanics.

Is E mc2 a relativity?

E = mc2, equation in German-born physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity that expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other.

How did Einstein prove E mc2?

In the next and last step of his argument, Einstein resorted to a low-speed approximation, with K1=(1/2)m1v2 and K1=(1/2)m2v2. Substituting these approximations into Eq. (2) and comparing terms of order v2, he obtained his mass–energy relation, m1−m2=E/c2.

What is classical relativity example?

For example, objects up close appear to be larger than when farther away. Furthermore, objects traveling in a moving car appear to be at rest relative to the observer in the car. An observer on the side of the road, however, perceives the objects moving at the same speed as the car itself.

What are the two types of relativity?

The theory of relativity is traditionally broken into two parts, special and general relativity. Special relativity provides a framework for translating physical events and laws into forms appropriate for any inertial frame of reference. General relativity addresses the problem of accelerated motion and gravity.