"Special" and "General" relativity- Who invented those terms?

In summary, the conversation discusses the origins of the names "Special Relativity" and "General Relativity" and how they may have contributed to confusion among the general public. The conversation also mentions the misconception that only General Relativity can account for accelerated frames of reference, and the idea that Einstein may have started developing the theory without a clear goal in mind. A source is provided for further reading on the topic.
  • #1
epovo
114
21
Hi all,
I can't seem to find any historic account of when those two theories got their (quite strange) names. Can someone point me to a source?
One of the reasons I am interested in this is the persistent idea in popularizing texts, especially from the 1970's, that Special Relativity could only deal with uniformly moving observers and that General Relativity was needed to discuss any accelerated frames of reference (I lost count of the times I was told that you could not account for the twin paradox without studying GR!). I had to actually start studying GR in earnest (and reading this forum) to dispel such a widespread myth from my mind.

I think the names Special vs. General added to the confusion in the minds of the public (probably outside a small expert circle). So who gave it their names and why? Is it possible that Einstein started to conceive GR without a clear idea of what he was trying to achieve?
 
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  • #3
Great link. Thank you
 

1. What is the difference between "Special" and "General" relativity?

"Special" and "General" relativity are both theories proposed by Albert Einstein to explain the behavior of objects in space and time. "Special" relativity deals with the relationship between space and time for objects moving at a constant speed, while "General" relativity expands on this theory to include the effects of gravity.

2. How did Albert Einstein come up with the theories of "Special" and "General" relativity?

Albert Einstein developed the theories of "Special" and "General" relativity through a combination of rigorous thought experiments and mathematical calculations. He was inspired by the work of other scientists, such as Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell, and his own observations and hypotheses about the nature of the universe.

3. What is the concept of spacetime in "Special" and "General" relativity?

In "Special" and "General" relativity, spacetime refers to the interconnectedness of space and time. Einstein proposed that these two concepts are not separate, but rather are intertwined and affected by each other. This idea fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and how objects move through it.

4. What are some key principles of "Special" and "General" relativity?

Some key principles of "Special" and "General" relativity include the concept of spacetime, the equivalence of mass and energy (E=mc²), the speed of light being the maximum speed at which information can travel, and the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects.

5. Who coined the terms "Special" and "General" relativity?

The terms "Special" and "General" relativity were coined by Albert Einstein himself in his papers published in 1905 and 1915 respectively. These terms were used to distinguish between the two theories and to highlight the different aspects of space and time that they addressed.

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