A question about the principle of special relativity

In summary, the conversation discusses the idea of a priority frame of reference and how it conflicts with the principle of relativity. The second interpretation, that there is no preferred frame of reference in physics, is considered to be the correct one. However, there are still speculations about the existence of fields that could potentially create a preferred frame of reference, but this would not contradict the fundamental laws of physics.
  • #1
erocket
4
0
the theory told us, there is no priority frame of reference. I have two comprenhensation of these sentence. 1, we could find no physics way to measure or make sure the exsistence of priority frame of reference. 2. the existence of priority frame of reference conflicts with relative principle. if the relative principle stands right, the must be no priority frame of reference. which one is right?
maybe this two way of understanding conbine the same meaning or law. could anyone give me some instructions
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The second is the right interpretation. The first one may be read as if there might be some preferred reference frame, but we're just unable to find it. The principle of relativity really says that whatever (equivalent) reference frame I pick, all my physical laws will be the same (and to do physics, that's all that matters, even though I could discern between them by talking about "my" frame and "your" frame, or labelling them A, B, C ...).

So indeed the very existence of a (physical) priority frame of reference, would mean that we would have to have some indication of it in our theory (for example: this formula is only valid inside or outside that particular frame) which simply contradicts the axiom that there is no such dependence in the formulas.
 
  • #3
thx very much.
could I take your explain as official veiws? or does the physics specialist agree with this explanation.

I'm still not certain about it, because some other day I read an article about the theory combining priority frames and relative principle .
 
  • #4
erocket said:
I'm still not certain about it, because some other day I read an article about the theory combining priority frames and relative principle .
Do you remember where you read it? The principle of relativity definitely says all the fundamental laws of physics should be the same in different frames, but there have been speculations that there could be fields filling the universe that formed shortly after the Big Bang with a randomly-determined rest frame (i.e. there's nothing in the laws of physics that says it couldn't have been any other frame, so even though experiments involving this field might give the appearance of a preferred frame, the frame isn't actually preferred in terms of the fundamental laws). There's a good article about such speculations http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/19076.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What is the principle of special relativity?

The principle of special relativity states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion, regardless of their relative velocities. This means that the laws of physics are consistent and do not depend on a specific frame of reference.

2. Who first proposed the principle of special relativity?

The principle of special relativity was first proposed by Albert Einstein in 1905 in his paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies". This paper laid the foundation for his theory of special relativity.

3. How does the principle of special relativity differ from the principle of general relativity?

The principle of special relativity only applies to objects in uniform motion, while the principle of general relativity applies to all objects, including those in non-uniform motion. Additionally, special relativity deals with the relationship between space and time, while general relativity includes the effects of gravity on the fabric of space-time.

4. What are some practical applications of the principle of special relativity?

The principle of special relativity has many practical applications, including the development of GPS technology, the understanding of nuclear energy and atomic bombs, and the prediction and explanation of cosmic phenomena such as black holes and the expanding universe.

5. Is the principle of special relativity still considered valid today?

Yes, the principle of special relativity is still considered valid today and has been extensively tested and confirmed through numerous experiments and observations. It is a fundamental principle in modern physics and has greatly advanced our understanding of the universe.

Similar threads

  • Special and General Relativity
5
Replies
144
Views
5K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
910
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
20
Views
729
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
57
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
789
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
32
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
21
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
29
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
12
Views
1K
Back
Top