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# Tag Archives: Relativity

## A Brief Discussion on Participation of \mu-mesons (muons) based upon Relativistic Dynamics

 The life time of muons { $\mu$-mesons } is $2.2 \times 10^{-6}$ seconds and their speed $0.998c$, so that they can cover only a distance of $0.998c \times 2.2 \times 10^{-6}$ or 658.6 meters in their entire lifetime, and yet they are found in profusion at sea level, i.e., at a depth of 10 kilometers from the upper atmosphere where they are produced. How may this be explained on the basis of (i) Lorentz – Fitzgerald Contraction; (ii) Time Dilation.

## Principle of Equivalence Led to the Formulation of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity

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The mass of a body, when subjected to a gravitational attraction but no acceleration (i.e., its gravitational mass) is the same when it is subjected to an acceleration but no gravitational attraction (i.e., its inertial mass).

This gave Einstein the idea that a gravitational field can be imitated by a field of acceleration and this, ultimately, led to the formulation of his general theory of relativity, wherein if showed that a non-accelerating or inertial frame of reference in which there is a gravitational field is physically equivalent to a reference frame accelerating uniformly with reference to the inertial frame but in which there is no gravitational field. This means, in other words, that experiments carried out in the two frames, under the same conditions, will yield identical results. This is called the Principle of Equivalence.

## Ultimate Speed of A Material Particle – Denying the Concept of Infinite mass – Photons and More

In classical mechanics, there being no upper limit to velocity it is possible that as a particle is given more and more acceleration, its speed may go on increasing progressively and may well become greater than $c$, –in fact, it may have any velocity whatever.

This is firmly denied by the theory of relativity. It may legitimately be asked, therefore, as to what will happen if the particle is continually accelerated. Certainly, its velocity v goes on increasing and hence also its mass in accordance with the mass-velocity relation $m= \frac {m_0} { \sqrt {1- \frac {v^2} {c^2} } } = \gamma m_0$ . But as $v$ approaches $c$, $\frac {v^2} {c^2} \longrightarrow 1$ and therefore $\sqrt {1- \frac {v^2} {c^2} } \longrightarrow 0$ and hence the mass of the particle $m \longrightarrow \infty$, as shown graphically, from which it is clear that for velocities right up to 50% of $c$, the increase in mass from the value of the rest mass or inertial mass $m_0$ is quite inappreciable. (more…)

## From Newton to Einstein – Search for a Fundamental Frame of Reference

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It was on account on Newton’s insistence as to the existence of a fundamental or absolute frame of reference, called absolute space, that the search for it was carried on. This search resulted in the discovery, or rather the invention, of that monstrosity of a medium, Luminiferous Ether, as the following brief account will show:

Maxwell clearly demonstrated, in the year 1864, the inter-relationship between electricity, magnetism and light when, from the known properties of electricity and magnetism, he formulated his celebrated theory of electromagnetic radiation and have the well know equations of electromagnetic field which bear his name and are identical with those that represent a wave phenomenon. He thus established the presence of electromagnetic waves in space, travelling with the speed of light. In other words, he proved that light is an electromagnetic wave. (more…)

# Albert Einstein

This name need not be explained. Albert Einstein is considered to be one of the best physicists in the human history.

The twentieth century has undoubtedly been the most significant for the advance of science, in general, and Physics, in particular. And Einstein is the most luminated star of the 20th century. He literally created cm upheaval by the publication, in quick succession, in the year 1905, two epoch-making papers, on the concept of the photon and on the Electrodynamics of moving bodies respectively, with yet another on the Mathematical analysis of Brownian Motion thrown in, in between.

The Electrodynamics of moving bodies was the biggest sensation and it demolished at one stroke some of the most cherished and supposedly infallable laws and concepts and gave the breath takingly new idea of the relativity of space and time.