Healed Hope,
E = mc² = energy, m = mass, c = speed of light
LONDON, May 29, 1919. The theory of relativity was proven. The total solar eclipse observed today in the Southern Hemisphere has provided indirect evidence for the correctness of the general theory of relativity. This theory was published in 1916 by the now world-famous physicist Albert Einstein.
Einstein made a name for himself as early as 1905 by publishing three sensational articles. In the first article he explained the photoelectric effect by predicting the existence of 'light particles', the so-called photons.
In a second article, he gave an explanation of Brownian motion: the movements of pollen particles on water, which provided the first evidence for the existence of atoms. In the third article, he laid the foundation for his specific theory of relativity.
In it, he came to the conclusion that the speed of light is an absolute constant. This means that every observer, no matter how fast he or she moves, sees light speeding along at a speed of about 300,000 kilometres per second.
In addition, Einstein concluded that absolute uniform motion (not accelerated or decelerated) cannot be determined. All uniform motion is relative: it can only be measured and defined in relation to something else. A third, astonishing, postulate is implicit in these two postulates: a universal time that is the same for all observers does not exist.
This can also be expressed as follows: according to Einstein, moving clocks run slower than clocks that are not moving. In 1905, Einstein wrote a fourth article, which he did not fully elaborate until two years later. In it, he showed that mass and energy are equivalent. This equivalence is expressed in the formula E = mc² (E = energy, m = mass, c = speed of light).
In response to these articles, Max Planck expressed the expectation almost ten years ago that Einstein would be regarded as the Copernicus of the 20th century. He now seems to be right.
The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively.
The confirmation of Einstein's equations through astronomical observations occurred in 1919. This was a significant scientific event where Sir Arthur Eddington led expeditions to observe a solar eclipse, which provided evidence for Einstein's theory of general relativity by showing that light from distant stars was bent by the Sun's gravitational field, exactly as Einstein had predicted.
Einstein's work was generally celebrated in the scientific community, including in Germany. The confirmation of his theories helped establish Einstein, who was German-born, as one of the most important physicists in history.
The 1919 eclipse expeditions were a fascinating moment in scientific history! British astronomer Arthur Eddington led two teams - one to Príncipe (an island off West Africa) and another to Sobral, Brazil - to observe a total solar eclipse on May 29, 1919.
The key idea was brilliant in its simplicity: during a total eclipse, the darkened sun would allow them to photograph stars that appeared near the sun's edge. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, the sun's gravitational field should bend the starlight, making these stars appear to be in slightly different positions compared to where they would normally be seen at night.
Einstein's theory precisely predicted that starlight passing close to the sun would be deflected by 1.75 arcseconds. The Newtonian theory of gravity predicted only half this amount. This meant the eclipse observations could definitively test between these competing theories.
Despite challenging conditions (cloudy weather in Príncipe and equipment issues in Brazil), both teams managed to capture photographs. When analyzed, the results showed a deflection very close to Einstein's prediction - approximately 1.69 arcseconds - and significantly more than Newton's prediction.
The results were announced at a joint meeting of the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society in London on November 6, 1919. The Times of London ran the now-famous headline "Revolution in Science - New Theory of the Universe - Newtonian Ideas Overthrown."
British astronomer Sir. Arthur Eddington (1882 - 1944)
This confirmation was particularly remarkable because Einstein had developed his theory through pure mathematical reasoning, without experimental evidence. Having it confirmed through careful observation was a triumph of both theoretical physics and experimental astronomy. It helped establish general relativity as a cornerstone of modern physics and made Einstein internationally famous almost overnight.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.