Mar 31, 2022 06:00:00

Eight things you can experience Einstein's theory of relativity in your life

The theory of

relativity established by theoretical physicist Albert Einstein is an important theory that is the basis of modern physics, but there is also an image that it is related to complicated phenomena such as black holes, and the theory of relativity is in everyday life. It may be hard to believe that it is related. Therefore, Live Science, a scientific media, summarizes 'eight things to realize the theory of relativity in real life'.

8 ways you can see Einstein's theory of relativity in real life | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/58245-theory-of-relativity-in-real-life.html

The theory of relativity explains the behavior of objects in space-time and helps to predict the existence of black holes, refraction of light due to gravity, and the behavior of planets in orbit. Live Science explains the theory of relativity: 'The speed, momentum, and time of an object are not absolute, but relative to the observation.' 'The speed of light is measured by anyone who measures it. He explains that it is made up of elements such as 'constant no matter how fast it moves' and 'nothing goes faster than light'.

These theories explain that 'the elapsed time measured by two observers differs due to the relative velocity difference and the difference in the gravitational field ( time delay )' and 'the length of a moving object.' It is a phenomenon such as 'measured shorter than a stationary object ( contraction of length )'. For example, an observer on a fast-moving spacecraft may have a shorter time than on Earth, or when taking a picture of a spacecraft in flight, it may appear to be crushed in the direction of motion. It can be explained by the theory of relativity.

However, in order to realize the theory of relativity, it is not always necessary to take a spacecraft or an object moving at a speed close to the speed of light as an example, and it seems that the theory of relativity can be realized from the technology used in daily life and around us. .. The 'eight things you can experience the theory of relativity' explained by Live Science are as follows.

◆ 1: Electromagnet
When the coil is moved near the magnet, the charged particles in the coil move due to the influence of the magnetic field and current flows, but conversely, when the magnet is moved while the coil is stationary, the charged particles in the coil are moving. An electric current is generated even though it should not be there. This suggests that there are no absolute coordinates and they are relative. 'This is the central principle behind transformers and generators, so anyone who uses electricity is relativistic,' said Thomas Moore, a professor of physics at

Pomona College in California, USA. I am experiencing the influence of theory. '

In addition, an electromagnet that generates a magnetic force by winding a coil around the core of a magnetic material and energizing it also functions according to the theory of relativity. When a direct current is passed through the coil, the coil looks electrically neutral because the numbers of protons and electrons are balanced, but when a coil with the same direct current is placed next to it, it depends on the direction of the current. The coils attract and repel each other. This is also a phenomenon related to length contraction based on the theory of relativity, and it cannot be explained without the theory of relativity.

◆ 2: GPS navigation
Artificial satellites that provide GPS used for map applications, etc. are moving at a considerably high speed, although they are not as fast as the speed of light, so they operate accurately unless the theory of relativity is taken into consideration when sending signals to ground stations. He said he wouldn't. It is said that the artificial satellite makes a correction of about 7 microseconds using a clock with an accuracy of several nanoseconds in consideration of the time delay of the theory of relativity due to high-speed movement and gravity. If the theory of relativity did not exist, the GPS that showed '0.8 km from point A to point B' as of today will show '8 km from point A to point B' one day later. Live Science points out that this will happen.

◆ 3: Gold yellowish luster
The

glossiness of most metals is due to the fact that free electrons moving inside the metal absorb and re-emit some of the photons that come in from the outside. Gold has a yellowish luster because it absorbs and re-emits up to the blue wavelength, which is reflected by most metals, because the free electrons of gold are moving at a speed close to the speed of light. , It seems that the reason is that the mass is increasing based on the theory of relativity.

◆ 4: Gold resistance to corrosion
The fact that gold free electrons move at a speed close to that of light also affects the corrosion resistance of gold. Based on the theory of relativity, fast-moving gold electrons have more mass than normal electrons and are therefore attracted closer to the nucleus. As a result, Live Science explains that gold has the property of being less corrosive because it has fewer electrons on the outside that are more likely to react with other substances.

◆ 5: Liquid mercury
Mercury , which is a heavy atom like gold, also has electrons held near the nucleus due to the moving speed of electrons and the accompanying increase in mass. Due to this effect, the bonds between mercury atoms are very weak, so it changes from solid to liquid at low temperatures.

◆ 6: Old TV
CRTs used in many TVs and monitors manufactured by the early 2000s used a large magnet to irradiate a phosphor with an electron beam to emit light. The speed of the electrons emitted at this time reaches up to 30% of the speed of light, and the manufacturer said that it was manufacturing while considering the influence of the theory of relativity.

◆ 7: Light
'The theory of relativity requires that the change in the electromagnetic field be not instantaneous, but move at a finite speed,' Moore said. If the theory of relativity does not exist, the change in the electric field is through electromagnetic waves. It is pointed out that it will be transmitted instantly. In that case, both magnetism and light become unnecessary, and he claims that the existence of light cannot be explained without the theory of relativity.

◆ 8: Sun
The theory of relativity explains that 'mass and energy are commutative', and the famous '

E = mc ² ' formula expresses this. In nuclear fusion in the sun, four hydrogen nuclei become one helium nucleus, and the mass left over from before and after the reaction is converted into energy such as heat and light, so heat and light reach the earth. increase. In other words, the theory of relativity, which shows that mass and energy are interchangeable, is also important in explaining why the sun emits heat and light.