FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS
A Simple Explanation of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Einstein formulated two theories of relativity; special and general.
Both deal with time and space; special relativity with motion and speed, general relativity with spacetime and gravity. We’ll focus on special relativity here. We won’t reach as far as explaining E=MC² but we’ll outline the 2 fundamental concepts that lead there.
Einstein started with two axioms.
First Axiom: Absolute Motion Cannot Be Proven
Absolute motion is the idea that a thing can be said to be moving with no frame of reference whatsoever.
For example, if you yourself were floating in a never-ending white space with no-one and nothing else; no corners or distinctive factors, if you tried to move you wouldn’t be able to say with any certainty if you were moving or not. You would have nothing to reference yourself against. The only way you know you’d be moving is if a second thing existed in your never-ending space from which you could reference if you were getting closer, further away, moving parallel etc.
If a floor existed and your feet touched it, that would be a frame of reference and you could say you were moving across the floor, but that would not be…
