Frank L. H. Wolfs
Department of
Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Slide 33
Consequences
of Einstein's special theory of relativity.
¥Simultaneity is relative: events that occur
simultaneously in one reference frame do not appear to occur simultaneously in
other, differently-moving, reference frames.
¥Mass is relative: an object seen in a moving
reference frame appears to be more massive than the same object seen at
rest; its mass approaches infinity as the speed of the reference frame
approaches the speed of light.
(This is why nothing can go faster than light.)
¥Mass and energy are equivalent: Energy can play
the role of mass, endowing inertia to objects, exerting gravitational forces, etc.
This is embodied in the famous equation E=mc2.