Special Relativity Theory: Understanding, Postulate, And Its Impact On The World Of Science

YOGYAKARTA - Special Relativity Theory is one of the most monumental findings in the history of science. The theory introduced by Albert Einstein in 1905 understands the universe in a completely new way and shakes up an old understanding of space and time.

The theory of special relativity states that space and time are relative. The theory breaks the classical physical law of Isaac Newton which states space and time are absolute. More details, the following will be discussed on the theory of special relativity, ranging from the definition, postulate, to its impact in the world of science.

Before the theory of special relativity emerged, the world of science adhered to the classical laws of physics of Isaac Newton. Newtonian physics thought space and time were absolute, but some natural phenomena could not be explained by this law. From here Einstein broke the old principle and introduced the theory of relativity which states space and time are relative.

Einstein argues that only the speed of light and the laws of physics are absolute to all observers, both silent and moving. Special relativity theories have two main postulates that became the foundation of its concept.

The first postulate states that the laws of physics apply equally in all reference frames moving at fixed speed (inertia). That is, no position is completely stationary or completely moving, all depending from the observer's point of view.

For example, you stand on the side of the road and see your friend sitting in a speeding car. From your point of view, your friend is moving while you are silent. From the point of view of your friend, it was you who moved while he was silent.

The second postulate states that the speed of light in vacuum is always constant, which is about 3\times 108 meters per second, regardless of the observer's position or speed. These two principles change the way humans view reality. From here, several important concepts were born such as long relativity, time dilation, momentum relativity, and mass relativity were born.

Long relativity explains that the distance between the two points will appear shorter for observers who move relative to the object. The time dilation or time expansion indicates that the running time is slower for objects that move faster than silent objects.

Meanwhile, momentum relativity states that moving objects have momentum that is directly proportional to their speed and mass. Finally, mass relativity stated that the mass of objects increased with increasing speed.

It can be concluded that the theory of special relativity is not just an abstract scientific concept, but an important milestone in the history of science. Einstein's thinking changed the way scientists understand space and time. Until now, this theory is still the main foundation in modern physics and continues to be proven correct through various scientific experiments.