Einstein’s Mass-Energy Equivalence Postulates
Before we can get into the core of mass-energy equivalence and its consequences, we’ll first need to cover some basic principles of special relativity. The special theory of relativity, special relativity for short, is one of the core theories of modern physics developed by Albert Einstein in 1905, building on the earlier work of Hendrik Lorentz and Henri Poincaré. Special relativity is largely concerned with the relationship between space and time, and the physics of objects moving at speeds close to the speed of light (c=3times10^8,mathrm{m},mathrm{s}^{-1}). Many strange and ground-breaking phenomena were predicted and later confirmed, by special relativity. For example, time dilation states that a stationary clock ticks faster than a clock that is moving relative to it. The principle of mass-energy equivalence is also one of the central ideas within special relativity.
Fig. 1 – Special relativity, and the mass-energy equivalence principle, are regarded as the crowning jewels in the work of Albert Einstein, revolutionizing how we understand space and time.
You are viewing: Which Statement Correctly Describes Mass Energy Equivalence
Read more : Which Brands Support Palestine
Special relativity is based upon two fundamental postulates, from which all other effects can be derived. These postulates, and by extension all of special relativity, rely on the idea of an inertial reference frame.
The postulates can be summarised as:
- Principle of relativity– The laws of physics are equivalent in all inertial reference frames. This means that, in an inertial frame, no experiment can be done to determine the absolute velocity of the frame, only the velocity relative to some other object.
-
Read more : Which Possibility Would Have A Large Impact On The Environment
Principle of invariant light speed– Light is always propagated through a vacuum at the same finite speed (c) independent of the speed of the body which emits it.
For a body moving with a constant velocity, we can define a specific type of inertial reference known as the body’s rest frame, moving at the same velocity as the body. In this reference frame, the body appears to be at rest. In special relativity, the physical quantities associated with a body, such as time traveled, mass, and length, are determined by the velocity of the frame of reference in which those quantities are being measured. The value of these quantities in the rest frame is taken as the ‘proper’ value. For example, the mass of a body increases with its velocity relative to the observer measuring it. So, we can define the body’s rest mass as its intrinsic mass, with the rest of the mass arising due to its relative velocity. It’s this rest mass and rest energy that arises in the principle of mass-energy equivalence.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHICH
