Table of Contents
How does the general theory of relativity differ from the special theory of relativity?
General relativity shows the relation of the observer and the acceleration, whereas special relativity shows the relation of the observer and the speed and time. General relativity considers and includes gravity, whereas special relativity does not include gravity, as no forces are acting on it.
What is harder special or general relativity?
If you look at a standard undergraduate physics curriculum, you will conclude that QM is much easier than GR. Classical mechanics, special relativity, and E&M make a reasonable first year; classical waves and QM fill a second year, but GR is a graduate-level or fourth-year course.
Is general relativity complicated?
While relativity has a reputation for being intimidatingly difficult, it’s a peculiar kind of difficulty. Coming at the subject without any preparation, you hear all kinds of crazy things about time dilating and space stretching, and it seems all very recondite and baffling.
Does general relativity include special relativity?
General relativity generalizes special relativity and refines Newton’s law of universal gravitation, providing a unified description of gravity as a geometric property of space and time or four-dimensional spacetime.
Should I learn special or general relativity first?
Before learning general relativity you need to learn special relativity,classical mechanics,electromagnetism,fluid mechanics,tensors,differential geometry first. this is the way we physics majors learn general relativity.
Is Special Theory of relativity hard?
For many people, learning the basics of special relativity is easy! However, it does tend to be more difficult than other branches of physics because it applies at speeds much higher than we ever encounter in our lives. This can make it difficult to apply your intuition.
Which came first general or special relativity?
Einstein’s theory is divided into special and general relativity. Special relativity came first and is based on the speed of light being constant for everyone. That may seem simple enough, but it has far-reaching consequences.
What is the difference between general relativity and special relativity?
General relativity talks about the curvature in space-time, whereas special relativity does not talk about any curves. General relativity is more complex and covers a greater part of the universe, whereas special relativity is a little simpler and covers a lesser part of the universe.
Why is general relativity better than Galilean relativity?
The theory of general relativity better enables us to study distant stars. Let’s heap a second scoop onto the relativity cone — a lovely taste of Black Forest courtesy of German-born physicist Albert Einstein. As we just mentioned, Galilean relativity, even after it got a few tweaks from Newtonian physics, was broken.
Why did Einstein change the definition of gravity?
If gravity is equivalent to acceleration, then it means gravity (like motion) affects measurements of time and space. This would mean that a sufficiently massive object like a star warps time and space through its gravity. So Einstein’s theory altered the definition of gravity itself from a force to a warping of space-time.