Relativity in brief... or in detail..

Einstein's theory of special relativity includes electricity and magnetism in a simple, logical extension of the relativity of Galileo and Newton. Its conclusions, including time dilation, length contraction, and E=mc2 have changed profoundly our ideas of time and space, matter and energy.

These multimedia modules (click on menu above right) give a brief overview of relativity - they present the main ideas. Inevitably, you will have questions. So the related links (below) give more complete explanations, at levels with () or without mathematics ().

Animations from Einstein Light require the Flash 6 Plugin. The multimedia modules have animations and film clips and are typically 2Mb. The much smaller HTML versions have only text and images. (If your connection is slow, you might read some of the background links while the modules load.)

Related Links for each module:-

1. GALILEO - Mechanics and Galilean relativity (Multimedia above right, smaller html version here)

Related Links

Galilean relativity

2. MAXWELL - Electricity, magnetism and relativity (Multimedia above right, smaller html version here)

Related Links

Electromagnetism and Galilean Relativity

3. EINSTEIN - The principle of Special Relativity (Multimedia above right, smaller html version here)

Related Links

Einstein's principle of Special Relativity

4. TIME DILATION - How relativity implies time dilation and length contraction (Multimedia above right, smaller html version here)

Related Links

Relativistic Time Dilation

5. E = mc2 - How relativistic mechanics leads to E = mc2 (Multimedia above right, smaller html version here)

Related Links

Relativistic mechanics
6. BEYOND RELATIVITY. (Multimedia version, or smaller html version)

Related Links

Beyond Relativity
Summary

Acknowledgments and credits

Written and presented by Joe Wolfe
Produced and animated by George Hatsidimitris