Explain Einsteins theory of relativity and its impact upon science and society - Essay Example

Einstein’s theory of relativity and its impact upon science and society Newtons theory of gravitation was accepted without question, and it remained unquestioned until the beginning of this century. Then Albert Einstein shook the foundations of physics with the introduction of his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, and his General Theory of Relativity in 1915 (Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity, N.D.). Albert Einstein was undoubtedly one of the great geniuses of our time.Einstein developed his special theory of relativity in 1905.

Einstein’s relativity theory revolutionized scientific thought with new conception of time, space, mass, motion, and gravitation. He treated matter and energy as exchangeable, not distinct. In doing so, he laid the basis for controlling the release of energy from the atom. Thus, Einstein was one of the fathers of the nuclear age (Kevles, 1989). Setting out from the discoveries of the new quantum mechanics, he showed that light travels through space in a quantum form (as bundles of energy). This was clearly in contradiction to the previously accepted theory of light as a wave.

In effect, Einstein revived the old corpuscular theory of light, but in an entirely different way. Here light was shown as a new kind of particle with duel nature, simultaneously displaying the properties of a particle and a wave. This startling theory made possible the retention of all the great discoveries of 19th century optics, including spectroscopes, as well as Maxwell’s equation. Einstein’s discovery of the law of equivalence of mass and energy is expressed in his famous equation E = mc2, which expresses the colossal energies locked up in the atom.

This is the source of all the concentrated energy in the universe. The symbol ‘e’ represents energy (in ergs), ‘m’ stands for mass (in grams) and ‘c’ is the speed of light (in centimeters per second). The actual value of c2 is 900 billion billion. That is to say, the conversion of one gram of energy locked up in matter will produce a staggering 900 billion billion ergs. Einstein predicted that the mass of a moving object would increase at very high speeds. The discoveries of quantum mechanics demonstrated the correctness of the special theory of relativity, not only qualitatively, but quantitatively.

The predictions of special relativity have been shown to correspond to the observed facts. Scientists discovered by experiment that gamma-rays could produce atomic particles, transforming the energy of light into matter. They also found that the minimum energy required to create a particle depended on its rest-energy, as predicted by Einstein. Einstein’s discovery provided the basis for a far more profound understanding of the workings of the universe. It provided an explanation of the source of the sun’s energy, which had been a mystery throughout the ages.

The immense storehouse of energy turned out to be—matter itself. All this is contained in the deceptively simple formula E = mc2. This equation became the foundation stone in the development of nuclear energy. The awesome power of the energy locked up in matter was revealed to the world in August 1945 at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The special theory of relativity was one of the greatest achievements of science. It has revolutionized the way we look at the universe to such an extent that it has been compared with the discovery that the earth is round.

Gigantic strides forward have been made possible by the fact that relativity established a far more accurate method of measurement than the old Newtonian laws it partially displaced (Relativity Theory, N.D.).ReferencesAlbert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity, (N.D.) Retrieved December 11, 2005, from http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/einstein.htmlKevles, D.J. (1989). Einstein Albert, The World Book Encyclopedia, E Vol 6, 144-145.Relativity Theory, (N.D.) Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://www.marxist.com/science/relativitytheory.html