¥Einstein developed his theory of relativity on the basis
of two assumptions:
¥The principle of
relativity: all laws of physics take the same form in any inertial reference
frame.
¥The principle of
the constancy of the speed of light: the speed of light is the same in any
inertial reference frame.
¥Newton's laws of
mechanics were inconsistent with the last assumption.
¥We will now focus in detail on these assumptions, how
they differed from the accepted views of mechanics, and how Einstein's theory
of relativity changed the world of physics.