Einstein’s theory of special relativity states that a. it is impossible for something to travel faster than light b. light travels at an accelerating speed c. the light from stars reaches Earth almost instantly
A light-year is a measure of a. time b. distance c. energy
The closest star to the Sun is about a. 4.25 light-years away b. 299 light-years away c. 1000 light-years away
Discussion/essay questions
Einstein’s theory of special relativity also states that speed can change the way we experience time. Do you think time travel will ever be possible? Why or why not?
Transcript
Einstein’s theory of special relativity states that it is impossible for anything to travel faster than light. In a vacuum, light travels at a constant speed of 299,792,458 metres per second. Scientists use the speed of light to measure distances between stars in space. A light-year is a unit that represents the distance that light can travel in a year. Even the closest stars and exoplanets are removed from our solar system by several light-years. Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, is about 4.25 light-years away. Some visible stars are thousands of light-years away. This means that the night sky is an image of the past. In fact, it is possible that some of the stars we can see no longer exist.
Some people wanted to use Einstein’s discoveries to develop weapons, such as the atomic bomb. What is your opinion on the use of new scientific discoveries to build stronger weapons?
Transcript
Albert Einstein was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. He was born in Germany in 1879, and he began attending school in 1885. As Einstein got older, he became fascinated with the nature of light. He wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 16, and later went on to study physics at a university in Switzerland. In 1905, Einstein published four scientific papers. The papers introduced his theory of special relativity, which allowed scientists to better understand the connection between time and space. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his achievements. In the 1930s, however, Einstein became a target of the Nazi Party of Germany. He moved to the U.S. to protect himself, and continued to work as a physicist. Einstein died in 1955, but his brain is still kept in the Princeton University Medical Center. Scientists still study it today.
