Physics

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

Good afternoon, everyone. Sodas and snacks are near the roll sheet.

Today, we will be discussing Einstein's theory of relativity.

Newton's laws of motion give us a complete description of the behavior moving objects at low speeds. The laws are different at speeds reached by the particles at SLAC.

Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity describes the motion of particles moving at close to the speed of light. In fact, it gives the correct laws of motion for any particle. This doesn't mean Newton was wrong, his equations are contained within the relativistic equations. Newton's "laws" provide a very good approximate form, valid when v is much less than c. For particles moving at slow speeds (very much less than the speed of light), the differences between Einstein's laws of motion and those derived by Newton are tiny. That's why relativity doesn't play a large role in everyday life. Einstein's theory supercedes Newton's, but Newton's theory provides a very good approximation for objects moving at everyday speeds.

Einstein's theory is now very well established as the correct description of motion of relativistic objects, that is those traveling at a significant fraction of the speed of light.

Because most of us have little experience with objects moving at speeds near the speed of light, Einstein's predictions may seem strange. However, many years of high energy physics experiments have thoroughly tested Einstein's theory and shown that it fits all results to date.

Comments

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

Frogs? I was talking about the flying dog and talking cat.

[swerval_zero]

Guess the frogs haven't reached you guys yet. I'm actually responsible for the flying dog. And isn't the talking cat Alanna's?

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

If they touch the speakers in my room, they're dead. The frogs that is. How'd you turn it into a flying one? And I dunno, I just saw it walking around.

[swerval_zero]

Vladdie's actually a vampire puppy. Apparently his kind of vampire can fly.

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

... ... ... ... ... Can Angelus fly?

[swerval_zero]

*tears out a new scrap of paper*

Not that I know of. Vladdie's an entirely different kind.

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

Only in this school.

[swerval_zero]

You said it.