theory of relativity science inquiry

8/9/2019 Theory of Relativity Science Inquiry

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Realize the applications of Einstein'stheory of relativity and determine themost important usage of E=MC2 in our

daily lives

Discover what is the theory of relativity Prove the theory of relativity


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The Conundrum:Einstein was always questioning and one

day he had a problem which wassomething like; if I was travelling at thespeed of light and I held up a mirror, whatwould I see? Would the image be distorted,or would there even be an image. Since weonly see things when light bounces of them,

if we are travelling at the speed of lightwould I only be able to see things behindme?


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EtherEther in physics is the hypothetical substance

supposed to occupy all space. Matter

Matter describes the physical material around ussuch as a soccer ball or a pencil.

EnergyIn physics energy is activity or a quantity which is

possible to assign every object. There are variousforms of energy such as kinetic, potential, thermal,

electromagnetic, etc. Light

A visual form of electromagnetic radiation


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Einstein discovered E=mc2 by calculatingkinetic energy of various objects usingLorentz transformations instead ofNewtonian mechanics. This was when

Einstein realized that there was a by-product which was supposed to be anenergy term (for example, x=heat energyreleased through...) which didnt vanishwhen light moved at zero speed. He then

stated that this should be called as restmass energy: Energy which every mass mustpossess even when being at rest.


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In other words it is the amount of energywhich is directly proportional to mass orthe matter. For example in one kilogram

of pure water the mass of hydrogenatoms is just slightly more than 111 grams,or 0.111 of a kilogram. Einsteins formulawhich states mass multiplied speed oflight squared, shows us that10,000,000,000,000,000 joules which is alot of energy.


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It is incredible to think that there is that muchenergy (equivalent to burning hundreds ofthousands of gallons of gasoline) in just akilogram of water. But there is only way to

access that energy, and that is to annihilatethat kilogram of water. By this I mean tocompletely eradicate it, the completedestruction of matter. But this only happenswhen matter meets an equal amount ofantimatter, a substance in which the mass has

a negative charge. Antimatter exists, but foundin the sub-atomic particles in radioactivedecay, but this antimatter only exists for a shortperiod of time as it destroys itself. How ironic.


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Albert Einstein one of the worlds most celebratedscientist, physicist, and mathematician, provided anexplanation for relativity with his famous formulae=mc2. Though many are familiar with this equation,only few understand what it really means. E=mc2

gives us an insight into the relationship of matter andenergy. This is that matter and energy are justdifferent forms of the same thing. Matter can beturned into energy and energy into matter. It also tellsus that time, length, and speed are all relative. Whichmeans that when we travel faster, time shortens and

everything shrinks because of the speed in which wewere travelling at.


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This model is often connected with Einsteins theory of relativity,and is also said to be the reason why Einstein succeeded. This isa misconception since Lorentz was trying to prove certainelements of the theory of relativity wrong. Lorentz transformationsin its simplest forms is that say if light was travelling against themovement of ether, the distance it was travelling may shrink. In

other words if the force which was moving against ether wasstrong enough then maybe everything would shrink, and thuslight would have less distance to travel. And thus proving one ofEinsteins concepts of the theory of relativity, that when movingat the speed of light everything shortens. This was exactly whatLorentz was trying to prove wrong. Physics is very ironic.

Imagine it this way; a block of matter (this is our ether) which isbeing squished by something moving at the speed of light. Thenmaybe the block of matter would contract, as its contents startto minimize to fit proportionately into the block.


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This explanation is purely hypothetical, and should just beused as a way to visualize the basics of LorentzTransformations, since the substance ether was proved tobe myth by Michelson and Morley. The Michelson andMorley experiment used mirrors, and various light and

optic systems to prove the in-existence of ether. Ether wasthe scientists way of explaining light passage through avacuum. Since the idea of space containing no matterwas so great scientists developed ether. Because it waseasier to imagine matter becoming smaller and thus lessdistance for light to travel (this shows that the speed oflight changes through mediums), than imagining lightmoving through nothing. Morley and Michelson provedthat vacuums do exist and that light travels faster in avacuum than air. Lorentz also proved and supported theMorley, Michelson experiments with equations andprovided a base for Einstein to compute.


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Newtonian physics introduces the basicfundamentals of classical mechanics.Newtonian mechanics in its simplicity is thatthe motion of point particles (objects which

can be seen with the naked eye) isdetermined by a number of parameters;position, mass, and the forces applied toeach. This only applies with objects abovenon-zero size, non zero size refers to

objects of very small size like an electronpparticle which is more accuratelyincorporated in quantum mechanics.


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According to Lorentz Transformation and NewtonianLaws:

Mass x Velocity=Energy/Speed of Light (MV=E/C)Imagine a cylinder in which a light is emitted at one

end. Once the light is emitted an object will exert aforce on the cylinder causing it to recoil in adirection. With this in mind we can conclude:

Time for the light to reach the other end of thecylinder = Light/Speed of Light (T=L/C)

Distance the cylinder moved from force exerted byobject = Velocity multiplied by Time (X=V*T)

Mass*Distance = Mass*Light (MX=ML)- Since thecylinder cant move on its own


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Putting all those equations together we can prove e=mc2:

MX=ML- Substituting ( Equation 3 )M(V*T)=ML..............................1

Re-arrange ( Equation 1 )M={E/C}/V................................2

Substitute 2 in 1{E/C}/V(V*T)=ML

Cancelling Out VelocityE/C*T=ML.................................3


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Substituting ( Equation 2 ) in 3E/C*L/C=ML..............................4

Expanding Left Hand Side of 4E*L/C*C= M*L

Cancelling out Light From Right Hand Side and LeftHand Side

E/C*C=M..................................5

Re-arranging 5E=MC*CE=MC2


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Smoke Detectors Radio-isotopes for surgery and advanced x-

ray

Even mobile and cellular technologies suchas the cell phone

Producing electricity GPS Gravitational lenses (photographs in space) Power Generation


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In conclusion, Einstein's famous theory ofrelativity has its uses every where fromsmoke detectors to surgery tools and

that it has a definite place in our dailylives. But I believe that the mostimportant application of E=MC2 wouldbe in the area of power generation as

the Earth is currently facing anenvironmental crisis.


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The Synchrotron Project in Australia islooking at using antimatter to destroyelectron particles and is predicted to

have an energy potential up till onebillion people world wide.

Hopefully throughout this science inquiryyou have finally realized what is the big

deal behind the theory of relativity andwill be able to become future Einsteins.

theory of relativity science inquiry

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