Relativity

Escher's Relativity

“Everybody knows that Einstein did something astonishing, but very few people know exactly what it was. It is generally recognized that he revolutionized our conception of the physical world, but the new conceptions are wrapped up in mathematical technicalities. It is true that there are innumerable popular accounts of the theory of relativity, but they generally cease to be intelligible just at the point where they begin to say something important.”
(Bertrand Russell in ABC of Relativity)


The videos below will help you to understand the Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Learn about the Einstein's Theory of Relativity watching these videos.



Learn about time dilatation according to Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Computer animations on Relativity:

Michelson-Morley Experiment	A simple analogy involving two swimmers that sets up the Michelson-Morley Experiment. Requires Flash 6; file size is 15k.	View
Time Dilation	A demonstration that the phenomenon of time dilation from the special theory of relativity necessarily follows from the idea that the speed of light is the same value for all observers. Requires Flash 6; file size is 55k.	View
Deriving Length Contraction	A tutorial that shows how relativistic length contraction must follow from the existence of time dilation. Requires Flash 5; file size is 37k.	View
Length Contraction is Invisible	This series of animations demonstrates that the relativistic length contraction is invisible. Requires Flash 5; file size is 90k.	View
Deriving the Relativity of Simultaneity	A tutorial that shows how the relative nature of the simultaneity of two events must follow from the existence of length contraction. Requires Flash 5; file size is 39k.	View
Twin Paradox	There are many ways of approaching this classic "paradox". Here we discuss it as an example of the relativistic Doppler effect. Requires Flash 6; file size is 116k.	View
Foucault Pendulum and Mach's Principle	This began as an animation of the Foucault Pendulum, but then I generalised it to illustrate Mach's Principle. See also the simple Foucault Pendulum in the Classical Mechanics section. Requires Flash 6, file size is 1.5M.	View
Advance of the Perihelion	A simple animation showing Newton's and Einstein's predictions for the orbit of Mercury. Requires Flash 6; file size is 7.0k.	View

 Source: Flash Animations for Physics

Visit also:
ABC of Relativty by Bertrand Russell (Audio book)
Albert Einstein Biography (for kids)
Essential Physics - Part 1: Relativity, Particle Dynamics, Gravitation and Wave Motion, by Frank W. K. Firk
Game: Einstein's Rocket
KCVS - Specia Relativity
Mechanics and Special Relativity
Michelson-Morley Experiment Simulation
Motion Mountain - Relativity
Teaching Special Relativity Using Physlets
The Age of Einstein, by Frank W. K. Firk
Relativity: The Special and General by Albert Einstein

Relativity Tutorial
Space-Time Lab
Special Relativity by G. W. Gibbons