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e. In physics, the special theory of relativity, or special relativity for short, is a scientific theory of the relationship between space and time. In Albert Einstein 's 1905 paper, On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, the theory is presented as being based on just two postulates: [p 1][1][2] The laws of physics are invariant (identical ...
Lorentz factor. where and v is the relative velocity between two inertial frames. For two frames at rest, γ = 1, and increases with relative velocity between the two inertial frames. As the relative velocity approaches the speed of light, γ → ∞. Time dilation (different times t and t' at the same position x in same inertial frame)
Definition of the Lorentz factor γ. The Lorentz factor or Lorentz term (also known as the gamma factor[1]) is a quantity expressing how much the measurements of time, length, and other physical properties change for an object while it moves. The expression appears in several equations in special relativity, and it arises in derivations of the ...
Einstein's two postulates. As formulated by Albert Einstein in 1905, the theory of special relativity was based on two main postulates: The principle of relativity: The form of a physical law is the same in any inertial frame (a frame of reference that is not accelerating in any direction). The speed of light is constant: In all inertial frames ...
Proper time. In relativity, proper time (from Latin, meaning own time) along a timelike world line is defined as the time as measured by a clock following that line. The proper time interval between two events on a world line is the change in proper time, which is independent of coordinates, and is a Lorentz scalar. [1]
Special relativity. The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant that is exactly equal to 299,792,458 metres per second (approximately 300,000 kilometres per second; 186,000 miles per second; 671 million miles per hour).
The constant , the speed of light, converts time units (like seconds) into space units (like meters). The squared interval Δ s 2 {\displaystyle \Delta s^{2}} is a measure of separation between events A and B that are time separated and in addition space separated either because there are two separate objects undergoing events, or because a ...
Comoving distance and proper distance. Comoving distance is the distance between two points measured along a path defined at the present cosmological time. For objects moving with the Hubble flow, it is deemed to remain constant in time. The comoving distance from an observer to a distant object (e.g. galaxy) can be computed by the following ...