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 * The Theory of Relativity: Positive Impacts on Society**

The Theory of Relativity has positively impacted our society through explaining concepts such as black holes, the structure of space, as well as global positioning systems(GPS).


 * Background Information**

Albert Einstein created the Theory of Relativity in 1905.The theory as a whole consists of two specific components. The first is general relativity, which can be defined as the idea that gravity pulling in one direction is completely equivalent to an acceleration in the opposite direction. This is also referred to as the equivalence principle. An example of a situation relating to general relativity is when a car accelerates forwards, it feels like sideways gravity is pushing you against your seat. The second component of the Theory of Relativity is special relativity, which proposed that distance and time are in no way absolute. For example, the ticking rate of a clock depends directly on the motion of the observer. The same goes for the length of a yardstick.

The concept of black holes was originally thought up in 1783. It was Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, however, which firmly set the idea. He showed that just as gravity can bend the path of any other moving object, it can bend the path of light. While we can see the graviational pull on many objects, we can not observe gravity beding the path of light in our every day lives because of how fast light moves. After Einstein's observations, this concept of black holes became crystal clear. As enough material is packed together, the gravitational pull strengthens, and if enough is packed together it should be strong enough to bend the light's path as well as keep it from escaping.
 * Black Holes**


 * Geometric Structure of Space**

The theory of general relativity helps us to draw conclusions about the geometrical structure of the universe. According to this theory, the geometrical properties of space are determined by matter. They are not independent. If we base our considerations on the state of matter being a known piece of imformation, we are then able to make these conclusions. It is known that the velocity of transmission of light is much larger than the velocity of stars in a suitable chose coordinate system. Part of the theory of general relativity is that you can chose what you consider to be at rest. If we treat the matter as being at rest, we can arrive at a conclusion of the nature of the universe as a whole.


 * Global Positioning Systems (GPS)**

It may seem like the Theory of Relativity has no importance in our everyday lives. However, many of us rely on global positioning systems, better known as GPS, almost every day. It seems so simple to just plug in where we would like to go and before we know it, up pops a detailed map of how to reach our final destination. It is however, slightly more complex than that. In order to achieve such accuracy and precision, the clock ticks from the GPS satellites must be known to an accuracy of 20-30 nanoseconds. In order to achieve this accuracy, effects predicted by the special and general theories of relatively must be taken into account because the satellites are constantly moving relative to observers on the earth.

The Theory of Relativity seems like just some abstract theory which has so relevance to anything in our everyday lives. This is however, an extremely false statement. The theory has had a positive impact on our society in many different ways. It has increased our understanding of scientific knowledge by explaining the reason behind many commonly known concepts. The key points addressed in general relativity can explain the fascinating reason behind black holes as well as the geometric structure of the universe. Without both components of the Theory of Relativity, general and special relativity, we would have never been able to figure out how to properly create and use our global navigation system which has become such a key part of our daily lives.
 * Conclusion**


 * Works Cited

"Curious About Astronomy? The Theory of Relativity." __Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer__. 28 Mar. 2008. 5 Feb. 2009

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I chose this website to use for my research becuase it was a very credible source. I knew it was accurate and up to date because the information was recent and not from several years past. It also gave me links to other resources I could use to find valuable information.

Lawson, Robert. "Einstein, Albert. 1920. Relativity: The Special and General Theory." __Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Encyclopedia,

Dictionary, Thesaurus and hundreds more__. 5 Feb. 2009 .

I chose this website because it gave me many external links to other sites where i could find lots of additonal information on my topic. It gave me information on the everyday life applications on the Theory of Relativity which was otherwise more difficult to find information about.

Lightman, Alan. "NOVA | Einstein's Big Idea | Relativity (Lightman Essay) | PBS." __PBS__. 5 Feb. 2009

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I chose this website becuase it had very valuable information on the Theory of Relativity as well as a very credible author. Therefor, i knew the information was accurate and up to date.**