Introduction to special relativity: Difference between revisions

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Through the era between Newton and around the start of the 20th century, the development of classical physics had made great strides. Newton's application of the [[inverse square law]] to [[gravity]] was the key to unlocking a wide variety of physical events, from [[heat]] to [[light]], and [[calculus]] made the direct calculation of these effects tractable. Over time, new mathematical techniques, notably the [[Lagrangian]], greatly simplified the application of these physical laws to more complex problems.

As electricity and magnetism were better explored, it became clear that the two concepts were related. Over time, this work culminated in [[Maxwell's equations]], a set of four equations that could be used to calculate the entirety of electromagnetism. One of the most interesting results of the application of these equations was that it was possible to construct a self-sustaining wave of electrical and magnetic fields that could propagate through space. When reduced, the mathsmathematics demonstrated that the speed of propagation was dependent on two universal constants, and their ratio was the [[speed of light]]. Light was an electromagnetic wave.

Under the classic model, [[wave]]s are displacements within a [[Transmission medium|medium]]. In the case of light, the waves were thought to be displacements of a special medium known as the [[luminiferous aether]], which extended through all space. This being the case, light travels in its own frame of reference, the frame of the aether. According to the Galilean transform, we should be able to measure the difference in velocities between the aether's frame and any other – a universal frame at last.