What Is Relativity?

What Is Relativity? PDF Author: Jeffrey Bennett
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231537034
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
A renowned astrophysicist’s approachable introduction to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and its application in our daily lives. It is commonly assumed that if the Sun suddenly turned into a black hole, it would suck Earth and the rest of the planets into oblivion. Yet, as prominent author and astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett points out, black holes don't suck. With that simple idea in mind, Bennett begins an entertaining introduction to Einstein's theories of relativity, describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip to a black hole. The theory of relativity reveals the speed of light as the cosmic speed limit, the mind-bending ideas of time dilation and curvature of spacetime, and what may be the most famous equation in history: E = mc2. Indeed, the theory of relativity shapes much of our modern understanding of the universe. It is not “just a theory”―every major prediction of relativity has been tested to exquisite precision, and its practical applications include the Global Positioning System (GPS). Amply illustrated and written in clear, accessible prose, Bennett's book proves anyone can grasp the basics of Einstein's ideas. His intuitive, nonmathematical approach gives a wide audience its first real taste of how relativity works and why it is so important to science and the way we view ourselves as human beings. “Well-written and uniquely readable . . . Bennett carefully avoids bombastic statements and “spectacularization” of the subject.” —Alberto Nicolis, Columbia University “I have read lots of introductions to relativity, but none is as clear and compelling as this one.” —Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute

What Is Relativity?

What Is Relativity? PDF Author: Jeffrey Bennett
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231537034
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 203

Get Book Here

Book Description
A renowned astrophysicist’s approachable introduction to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and its application in our daily lives. It is commonly assumed that if the Sun suddenly turned into a black hole, it would suck Earth and the rest of the planets into oblivion. Yet, as prominent author and astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett points out, black holes don't suck. With that simple idea in mind, Bennett begins an entertaining introduction to Einstein's theories of relativity, describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip to a black hole. The theory of relativity reveals the speed of light as the cosmic speed limit, the mind-bending ideas of time dilation and curvature of spacetime, and what may be the most famous equation in history: E = mc2. Indeed, the theory of relativity shapes much of our modern understanding of the universe. It is not “just a theory”―every major prediction of relativity has been tested to exquisite precision, and its practical applications include the Global Positioning System (GPS). Amply illustrated and written in clear, accessible prose, Bennett's book proves anyone can grasp the basics of Einstein's ideas. His intuitive, nonmathematical approach gives a wide audience its first real taste of how relativity works and why it is so important to science and the way we view ourselves as human beings. “Well-written and uniquely readable . . . Bennett carefully avoids bombastic statements and “spectacularization” of the subject.” —Alberto Nicolis, Columbia University “I have read lots of introductions to relativity, but none is as clear and compelling as this one.” —Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute

What Is Relativity?

What Is Relativity? PDF Author: L. D. Landau
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486163482
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
Written by a Nobel Prize physicist and his colleague, this compelling book uses familiar objects (trains, rulers, clocks) to illuminate the more subtle aspects of relativity. 23 illustrations. 1959 edition.

The Theory of Relativity

The Theory of Relativity PDF Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 121

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Book Description
The present book is intended, as far as possible, to give an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics. The author has spared himself no pains in his endeavor to present the main ideas in the simplest and most intelligible form, and on the whole, in the sequence and connection in which they actually originated.

Understanding Relativity

Understanding Relativity PDF Author: Leo Sartori
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520916247
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Nonspecialists with no prior knowledge of physics and only reasonable proficiency with algebra can now understand Einstein's special theory of relativity. Effectively diagrammed and with an emphasis on logical structure, Leo Sartori's rigorous but simple presentation will guide interested readers through concepts of relative time and relative space. Sartori covers general relativity and cosmology, but focuses on Einstein's theory. He tracks its history and implications. He explores illuminating paradoxes, including the famous twin paradox, the "pole-in-the-barn" paradox, and the Loedel diagram, which is an accessible, graphic approach to relativity. Students of the history and philosophy of science will welcome this concise introduction to the central concept of modern physics.

Einstein's 1912 Manuscript on the Special Theory of Relativity

Einstein's 1912 Manuscript on the Special Theory of Relativity PDF Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
This tribute to Einstein's genius opens with a brief essay by Hanoch Gutfreund, a chronology of Einstein's life, a selection of quotes by Einstein, and, to introduce the manuscript, a detailed description of the manuscript, its contents, publication history, and provenance.

Introducing Einstein's Relativity

Introducing Einstein's Relativity PDF Author: Ray D'Inverno
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Black holes (Astronomy)
Languages : en
Pages : 383

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Book Description


The Meaning of Relativity

The Meaning of Relativity PDF Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400851874
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
In 1921, five years after the appearance of his comprehensive paper on general relativity and twelve years before he left Europe permanently to join the Institute for Advanced Study, Albert Einstein visited Princeton University, where he delivered the Stafford Little Lectures for that year. These four lectures constituted an overview of his then-controversial theory of relativity. Princeton University Press made the lectures available under the title The Meaning of Relativity, the first book by Einstein to be produced by an American publisher. As subsequent editions were brought out by the Press, Einstein included new material amplifying the theory. A revised version of the appendix "Relativistic Theory of the Non-Symmetric Field," added to the posthumous edition of 1956, was Einstein's last scientific paper.

Gravity

Gravity PDF Author: James B. Hartle
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316517543
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 605

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Book Description
Best-selling, accessible physics-first introduction to GR uses minimal new mathematics and begins with the essential physical applications.

Very Special Relativity

Very Special Relativity PDF Author: Sander Bais
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674026117
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, first published in 1905, radically changed our understanding of the world. Familiar notions of space and time and energy were turned on their head, and our struggle with Einstein's counterintuitive explanation of these concepts was under way. The task is no easier today than it was a hundred years ago, but in this book Sander Bais has found an original and uniquely effective way to convey the fundamental ideas of Einstein's Special Theory. Bais's previous book, The Equations, was widely read and roundly praised for its clear and commonsense explanation of the math in physics. Very Special Relativity brings the same accessible approach to Einstein's theory. Using a series of easy-to-follow diagrams and employing only elementary high school geometry, Bais conducts readers through the quirks and quandaries of such fundamental concepts as simultaneity, causality, and time dilation. The diagrams also illustrate the difference between the Newtonian view, in which time was universal, and the Einsteinian, in which the speed of light is universal. Following Bais's straightforward sequence of simple, commonsense arguments, readers can tinker with the theory and its great paradoxes and, finally, arrive at a truly deep understanding of Einstein's interpretation of space and time. An intellectual journey into the heart of the Special Theory, the book offers an intimate look at the terms and ideas that define our reality.

Elements of General Relativity

Elements of General Relativity PDF Author: Piotr T. Chruściel
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030284166
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
This book provides an introduction to the mathematics and physics of general relativity, its basic physical concepts, its observational implications, and the new insights obtained into the nature of space-time and the structure of the universe. It introduces some of the most striking aspects of Einstein's theory of gravitation: black holes, gravitational waves, stellar models, and cosmology. It contains a self-contained introduction to tensor calculus and Riemannian geometry, using in parallel the language of modern differential geometry and the coordinate notation, more familiar to physicists. The author has strived to achieve mathematical rigour, with all notions given careful mathematical meaning, while trying to maintain the formalism to the minimum fit-for-purpose. Familiarity with special relativity is assumed. The overall aim is to convey some of the main physical and geometrical properties of Einstein's theory of gravitation, providing a solid entry point to further studies of the mathematics and physics of Einstein equations.