special relativity theory
- noun
- /ˈspɛʃəl ˌrɛlətɪˈvɪlɪti ˈθɪəri/
- Specialized
:
teoría de la relatividad especial
- Einstein developed the special relativity theory in 1905.
Examples
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The Global Positioning System relies on the corrections predicted by special relativity theory.
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Einstein's special relativity theory revolutionized twentieth-century physics.
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Many experiments have confirmed the predictions made by special relativity theory.
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The special relativity theory revolutionized our understanding of space and time.
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Einstein's special relativity theory revolutionized our understanding of time and space.
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According to special relativity theory, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
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Many modern technologies, such as GPS, rely on the principles established by special relativity theory.
Synonyms
43
8.1
A theory in physics that space and time change depending on how you move
12
6.7
A scientific idea that space and time are linked and change with motion and gravity
2
7.1
A theory that says physics works the same for all objects moving at constant speed and light speed is constant
1
6.1
A scientific idea that space and time change with speed and that light has the same speed for all observers
1
6.5
A scientific idea by Einstein that space and time depend on how fast something moves
A 1905 Einstein theory saying time and space change because light's speed is always the same
Surface Forms
Morphology
special + relativity + theory
The phrase is fully compositional: 'special' (a particular kind), 'relativity' (the scientific concept of relative space/time), and 'theory' (an explanatory framework) combine to mean the specific scientific theory about relativity applying to inertial frames. Although it's a technical term, a B1 learner who knows the three constituent words can transparently infer that this denotes a particular theory of relativity.
Etymology
Special relativity theory was named by Einstein to describe a special case of motion without gravity or speeding up, and relativity points to the idea that measurements like time and distance can look different depending on who is moving. That's why the theory says the 'speed of light' is the same for everyone and why the name sums up what the idea explains.