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INFINITE SPACE AND ABSOLUTE TIME

INFINITE SPACE AND ABSOLUTE TIME. Large scale bubble-like structures in the universe. The image contains about 4000 galaxies each representing one luminous point. The Cracks in Newton’s Theory. Newton’s own worries The speed of light problem. I : NEWTON’S WORRIES.

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INFINITE SPACE AND ABSOLUTE TIME

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  1. INFINITE SPACEANDABSOLUTE TIME

  2. Large scale bubble-like structures in the universe. The image contains about 4000 galaxies each representing one luminous point.

  3. The Cracks in Newton’s Theory • Newton’s own worries • The speed of light problem

  4. I : NEWTON’S WORRIES • Newton’s had big concerns about his own theory! • Gravitation force somehow (mysteriously) could reach across large distances – it was an “action at a distance”. Newton’s didn’t like that. • Newton’s static universe • Newton imagined that the Universe was infinite and full of stationary stars, each exerting a gravitational force on the others. • Turns out that this configuration (and any other that Newton could think of) is unstable… the smallest disturbance and it will collapse.

  5. Recap “Relativity” tells us how to relate measurements in different frames. Galilean relativity Simple velocity addition law : vtotal=vrun+vtrain II: THE SPEED OF LIGHT PROBLEM

  6. Electromagnetic waves • James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) • Developed theory of electromagnetic fields in the 1860’s (Maxwell’s equations).

  7. Maxwell’s equations: • Predict “waves” of electromagnetic energy – quickly realized that these were light waves! • The speed of light “c” appears as a fundamental constant in the equations. • c=300,000 km/s • BUT, what frame of reference is this measured relative to???

  8. Luminiferous Ether (19th century) • Hypothetical substance that fills space - provides a “medium” through which light can travel. • Was presumed that “c” should be measured with respect to the rest frame of the Ether. • Albert Michelson & Edward Morley attempted to measure motion of Earth through ether…

  9. Michelson-Morley Experiment

  10. Experiment performed in 1887 • Aim to measure differences in the speed of light in different directions. • Results • M-M showed that speed of light was same in any direction to within 5 km/s • Modern versions of the experiment show constancy to better than 1 micron/s • So, what’s going on??

  11. Maybe the Ether “sticks” to the Earth? • Gets “dragged” as Earth spins and orbits Sun… • Possibility at the time, but no-longer viable. • Maybe the Ether squeezes the arms of the M-M experiment and distorts the result? “Fitzgerald contraction”? • Major mystery (“crisis”) in 19th century physics – two highly successful theories seemed incompatible! • Mechanics – Galilean Relativity and Newton’s laws • Electromagnetism – Maxwell’s equations

  12. Einstein enters the picture… • Albert Einstein • Didn’t like idea of Ether • Threw away the idea of Galilean Relativity • Came up with the two “Postulates of Relativity” • Postulate 1 – The laws of nature are the same in all inertial frames of reference • Postulate 2 – The speed of light in a vacuum is the same in all inertial frames of reference.

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