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analogy of space-time curvature described in General Relativity.]] The theory of relativity, or simply '''relativity''', refers specifically to two theories: Albert Einstein's Special Relativity and General Relativity . The term "relativity" was coined by Max Planck in 1908 to emphasize how special relativity (and later, general relativity) uses the Principle Of Relativity . SPECIAL RELATIVITY See Also: Special relativity Special relativity is a theory of the structure of Spacetime . It was introduced in Albert Einstein 's 1905 paper " On The Electrodynamics Of Moving Bodies ". Special relativity is based on two postulates which are contradictory in Classical Mechanics : # The laws of physics are the same for all observers in Uniform Motion relative to one another ( Galileo 's Principle Of Relativity ), # The Speed Of Light in a Vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of the source of the Light . The resultant theory has many surprising consequences. Some of these are:
The defining feature of special relativity is the replacement of the Galilean Transformation s of classical mechanics by the Lorentz Transformation s. (See Maxwell's Equations of Electromagnetism and Introduction To Special Relativity ). GENERAL RELATIVITY See Also: General relativity General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Einstein in the years 1907 – 1915 . The development of general relativity began with the being exerted on them, instead of this being due to the force of Gravity as is the case in Classical Mechanics . This is incompatible with classical mechanics and Special Relativity because in those theories inertially moving objects cannot accelerate with respect to each other, but objects in free fall do so. To resolve this difficulty Einstein first proposed that spacetime is Curved . In 1915 , he devised the Einstein Field Equations which relate the curvature of spacetime with the mass, energy, and momentum within it. Some of the consequences of general relativity are:
Technically, general relativity is a Metric theory of Gravitation whose defining feature is its use of the Einstein field equations. The solutions of the field equations are Metric Tensor s which define the Topology of the spacetime and how objects move intertially. REFERENCES AND LINKS See the Special Relativity References and the General Relativity References . For information on the silent film produced on this subject, see '' The Einstein Theory Of Relativity ''. EXTERNAL LINKS
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