What is a simple definition of Einstein's theory of relativity?

Answer 1

A very simple definition of special relativity would be: 1. Nothing travels faster than light. 2. Light is always measured at the same speed (roughly 186,000 mph) no matter how fast you are traveling or the direction you are going. 3. The faster you travel, the slower time moves, the heavier you get and longer things become shorter. However, the hardest part to grasp is the fact that as you move, nothing to you is different. Your clock will still tick away at the same rate. An observer, however, would notice your clock running slower. You would notice the observer's clock runining slower while they would be seeing things perfectly normal It's all relative to the observer. General relativity incorporates gravity into the equation and shows how gravity effects time, bends light and thus effects time. A clock for intance on the ground next to the Empire State Building will run faster than a clock on the top of the building because the pull of the earth causes clocks to run slightly slower then a clock that is further away from the center of the planet.