相关论文: A simple derivation of E = mc^2
Section 7 of Einstein's 1905 electrodynamics paper gives frequency-shift and aberration formulae that together describe an elongated ellipsoidal wavefront. A Lorentz contraction of this ellipsoid solves most (but not all) of the associated…
This is a brief introduction to general relativity, designed for both students and teachers of the subject. While there are many excellent expositions of general relativity, few adequately explain the geometrical meaning of the basic…
We critically revisit Einstein's 1905 heuristic argument for lightquanta, considering its internal coherence and the scope of its applicability. We argue that Einstein's reasoning, often celebrated for its originality, is ambiguous because…
The energy-mass content of Einstein's E = mc^{2} is well known. For a fixed value of mass, E = mc^{2} is an energy-momentum relation which takes the form E = \sqrt{m^{2} + p^{2}}. This relation was formulated in 1905 for point particles.…
100 years ago Einstein discovered $E=mc^2$, the secret energy stored in ordinary mass. $\Delta H = D(H-H)$ is the chemical energy released in chemical bond formation between two H atoms. The failure to recognize the enormously different…
Einstein's unpublished 1927 deterministic trajectory interpretation of quantum mechanics is critically examined, in particular with regard to the reason given by Einstein for rejecting his theory. It is shown that the aspect Einstein found…
We review in the present article the conjecture of electromagnetic mass by Lorentz. The philosophical perspectives and historical accounts of this idea are described, especially, in the light of Einstein's special relativistic formula {E =…
We present three reasons for rewriting the Einstein equation. The new version is physically equivalent but geometrically more clear. 1. We write $4 \pi$ instead of $8 \pi$ at the r.h.s, and we explain how this factor enters as surface area…
The Equivalence Principle (EP) is not one of the ``universal'' principles of physics (like the Action Principle). It is a heuristic hypothesis which was introduced by Einstein in 1907, and used by him to construct his theory of General…
A detailed re-examination of the seminal paper on special relativity, taking into account recent work on the physical interpretation of the space-time Lorentz transformation as well as the modern understanding of classical elecromagnetism…
Einstein's theory of general relativity describes gravity as the interaction of particles with space-time geometry, as opposed to interacting with a physical fluid, as in the old gravitational aether theories. Moreover, any theoretical…
The expressions of momentum and energy of a particle in special relativity are often derived in a quite unconvincing manner in elementary text, by resorting either to electrodynamic or quantum considerations, or via the introduction of the…
There are several ways to derive Einstein's celebrated formula for the energy of a massive particle at rest, $E=mc^2$. Noether's theorem applied to the relativistic Lagrange function provides an unambiguous and straightforward access to…
In 1926 Albert Einstein gave a clear explanation of the physical processes involved in the meander formation and evolution in open channels (Einstein, 1926). Although this work is far from being recognized as one of his greatest…
Both Poincar\'e in his 1900 Festschrift paper \cite{Poincare} and Einstein in his 1905 \textsl{Annalen der Physik} article \cite{Einstein} were led to $E=mc^2$ by considering electromagnetic processes taking place in vacuo. Poincar\'e's…
The question of Einstein's rejection of the November tensor is re-examined in light of conflicting answers by several historians. I discuss these conflicting conjectures in view of three questions that should inform our thinking: Why did…
Before developing his 1915 General Theory of Relativity, Einstein held the "Entwurf" theory. Tullio Levi-Civita from Padua, one of the founders of tensor calculus, objected to a major problematic element in this theory, which reflected its…
This note is an attempt to explain in simple words why the famous relation $E=mc^2$ misrepresents the essence of Einstein's relativity theory. The note is addressed to high-school teachers, and a part of it - to those university professors…
We present a pedagogical review of old inconsistencies of Classical Electrodynamics and of some new ideas that solve them. Problems with the electron equation of motion and with the non-integrable singularity of its self-field energy tensor…
Einstein's distinction between principle theories and constructive theories is methodological rather than metaphysical. Principle theories such as thermodynamics and relativity articulate empirically distilled constraints that delimit…