What is the practical use of the theory of relativity?

The theory explains the behavior of objects in space and time, and it can be used to predict everything from the existence of black holes, to light bending due to gravity, to the behavior of the planet Mercury in its orbit.

What is a simple example of relativity?

A Relative Example One example of relativity is to imagine two people on a train playing ping-pong. The train is traveling at around 30 m/s north. When the ball is hit back and forth between the two players, the ball appears to the players to move north at a speed of around 2 m/s and then south at the speed of 2 m/s.

How is general relativity used in GPS?

In a nutshell: General Relativity predicts that clocks go slower in a higher gravitational field. That is the clock aboard the GPS satellites “clicks” faster than the clock down on Earth. Also, Special Relativity predicts that a moving clock is slower than the stationary one.

What is relativity theory?

a theory, formulated essentially by Albert Einstein, that all motion must be defined relative to a frame of reference and that space and time are relative rather than absolute concepts: it consists of two principal parts.

What is Theory of Relativity in simple words?

What is general relativity? Essentially, it’s a theory of gravity. The basic idea is that instead of being an invisible force that attracts objects to one another, gravity is a curving or warping of space. The more massive an object, the more it warps the space around it.

Is technology inspired by the theory of general relativity?

Ok, special relativity is great, but what about technology inspired by the theory of general relativity? The most pervasive example is the Global Positioning System (GPS), and it results from Einstein’s general theory of relativity clarifying the origins of gravity.

What is the real world relativity of the GPS?

Real-World Relativity: The GPS Navigation System. The nominal GPS configuration consists of a network of 24 satellites in high orbits around the Earth, but up to 30 or so satellites may be on station at any given time. Each satellite in the GPS constellation orbits at an altitude of about 20,000 km from the ground,…

What is an example of Einstein’s theory of relativity?

The most pervasive example is the Global Positioning System (GPS), and it results from Einstein’s general theory of relativity clarifying the origins of gravity. Three hundred years ago, Isaac Newton observed that small objects in the universe are drawn toward larger objects, and he discerned that strength of this attraction depended on their mass.

Why is relrelativity important for GPS?

Relativity is not just some abstract mathematical theory: understanding it is absolutely essential for our global navigation system to work properly! For more information about GPS, see