Special and General Relativity

In summary, the Nobel Prize committee thought that Einstein's photoelectric effect explanation was complete and accepted by the physics community, but they did not award him a Nobel Prize for General Relativity because it was still somewhat controversial. General Relativity will likely never have a profound effect on the average person, so Einstein was not the best candidate for a Nobel Prize in this field.
  • #1
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It has always confused me why Einstein never won a Nobel Prize for special or general relativity. I had always thought that instead of winning for the photoelectric effect he should have won for relativity. Why would they decided to do this?

I forgot to check my title, to bad I can't edit it.
 
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  • #2
Title fixed.
 
  • #3
At the time the prize was given, Einstein's photoelectric effect explanation was completely accepted by the physics community. However, General Relativity was still somewhat controversial then.
 
  • #4
But why then did they not give him another Nobel Prize? Do they not give any more than one to a single person?
 
  • #5
They do give more than one on very rare occasions. Bardeen is the only one to win two physics nobel prizes, marie curie won one for chem and one for phys and pauling won one for chem and one for peace. In general the nobel prizes are filled with controversy and on average nobel prizes are awarded somewhere around 50 years after the initial discovery (and nobel prizes are not rewarded posthumously). So it could be that einstein just died to soon. However, personally, I believe that the importance of Einstein's relativity is over stated by the public at large. Bardeen, for example, who was the only guy to win 2 physics nobel prizes won the first one for inventing the transistor (transistors, btw, are the core of all electronics and computers and the reason for the possibility of the digital age) and for the development of BCS theory (he's the B) which is a theoretical model of superconductors and superconductors, if we can ever create room temperature ones, will likely change the face of all technology again. For this Bardeen got two nobel prizes. Einstein's relativity (which was by no means his only contribution and personally I think his work in stat mech is of more importance) will likely never have a profound effect on the average person. Therefore, although he was certainly an obscenely brilliant man and his work has changed the way we look at light and time forever if he would have gotten 2 I think I might have called foul. But that's just my humble opinion.
 

1. What is the difference between Special and General Relativity?

Special Relativity is a theory developed by Albert Einstein that describes the relationship between space and time in the absence of gravity. It explains the behavior of objects moving at constant speeds and the effects of relative motion. General Relativity, on the other hand, is a theory that explains the effects of gravity on the shape of space and the flow of time. It is a more comprehensive theory that includes the principles of Special Relativity and extends them to include the effects of gravity.

2. How does Special Relativity change our understanding of the universe?

Special Relativity introduced the concept of space-time, where space and time are interconnected and can be affected by the motion of objects. It also showed that the speed of light is constant, regardless of the observer's frame of reference. This theory has led to new understandings of the laws of physics and has been confirmed by numerous experiments and observations.

3. Can you explain the concept of time dilation in Special Relativity?

Time dilation is a phenomenon predicted by Special Relativity where time appears to slow down for an object in motion relative to an observer. This means that time passes slower for objects moving at high speeds compared to those at rest. This effect has been observed and confirmed through experiments, such as the famous Hafele-Keating experiment.

4. What is the relationship between mass and energy in Special Relativity?

Special Relativity introduced the famous equation E=mc², which states that mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted into one another. This means that mass can be converted into energy, and vice versa. This concept has been confirmed by experiments, such as nuclear reactions, where a small amount of mass is converted into a large amount of energy.

5. How does General Relativity explain the bending of light around massive objects?

According to General Relativity, massive objects, such as planets and stars, bend the fabric of space-time, causing the path of light to curve as it passes through. This effect, known as gravitational lensing, has been observed and confirmed by numerous experiments and observations, providing strong evidence for the validity of General Relativity.

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