The Principle of Relativity

The Principle of Relativity

Lord Kelvin writing in 1893, in his preface to the English edition of Hertzs Researches on Electric Waves, says many workers and many thinkers have helped to build up the nineteenth century school of plenum, one ether for light, heat, electricity, magnetism; and the German and English volumes containing Hertzs electrical papers, given to the world in the last decade of the century, will be a permanent monument of the splendid consummation now realised. Ten years later, in 1905, we find Einstein declaring that the ether will be proved to be superfluous. At first sight the revolution in scientific thought brought about in the course of a single decade appears to be almost too violent. A more careful even though a rapid review of the subject will, however, show how the Theory of Relativity gradually became a historical necessity. Towards the beginning of the nineteenth century, the luminiferous ether came into prominence as a result of the brilliant successes of the wave theory in the hands of Young and Fresnel. In its stationary aspect the elastic solid ether was the outcome of the search for a medium in which the light waves may undulate. This stationary ether, as shown by Young, also afforded a satisfactory explanation of astronomical aberration. But its very success gave rise to a host of new questions all bearing on the central problem of relative motion of ether and matter. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 66944
Author: Einstein, Albert
Release Date: Dec 14, 2021
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Contributor (Author): Minkowski, H. (Hermann), 1864-1909


Translator: Bose, Satyendranath, 1894-1974, Saha, Meghnad, 1893-1956