ABC of RelativityPsychology Press, 1997 - 155 עמודים Ask a dozen people to name a genius and the odds are that 'Einstein' will spring to their lips. Ask them the meaning of 'relativity' and few of them will be able to tell you what it is. The basic principles of relativity have not changed since Russell first published his lucid guide for the general reader. The ABC of Relativityis Bertrand Russell's most brilliant work of scientific popularisation. With marvellous lucidity he steers the reader who has no knowledge of maths or physics through the subtleties of Einstein's thinking. In easy, assimilable steps, he explains the theories of special and general relativity and describes their practical application to, amongst much else, discoveries about gravitation and the invention of the hydrogen bomb. |
תוכן
The Earth and the Heavens | 9 |
What Happens and What is Observed | 17 |
The Velocity of Light | 26 |
Clocks and Footrules | 35 |
SpaceTime | 45 |
The Special Theory of Relativity | 66 |
Einsteins Law of Gravitation | 78 |
Proofs of Einsteins Law of Gravitation | 91 |
Mass Momentum Energy and Action | 100 |
The Expanding Universe | 113 |
Conventions and Natural Laws | 124 |
The Abolition of Force | 133 |
What is Matter? | 141 |
Philosophical Consequences | 148 |
מהדורות אחרות - הצג הכל
מונחים וביטויים נפוצים
aether assume astronomical atom body called centre Chapter class of inertial clocks clusters co-ordinates conservation definite depends direction distance in space earth earth-dwellers effect Einstein electromagnetic electrons equally equator Euclidean Euclidean geometry exactly fact flash foot-rule force formula galaxies generalisation geodesics geometry given Greenwich happened hill inertial frames infer interval journey judge kinetic law of gravitation less light-ray light-waves light-years longer Lorentz transformation mathematical matter mean measured mass Michelson-Morley experiment miles an hour mirror motion moving relatively nature Newtonian observer occurred particles physical laws physical world physicist planets point of view position possible principle protons Pythagoras quantity quantum theory question railway regarded relativity theory right angles Russell's sense simultaneity space-time Special Relativity special theory speed speed of light square stars straight lines superclusters suppose surface theoretical theory of relativity thing train triangle universe velocity of light waves