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special relativity

Physical theory of measurement in an inertial frame of reference proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein

Entityscientific theory physical lawQ11455

Also known as SR · special theory of relativity · STR

Instance of: scientific theory
, physical law
Part of: theory of relativity
Founded: 1905

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In physics, the special theory of relativity, or simply special relativity, is a scientific theory of the relationship between space and time. In Albert Einstein's 1905 paper, "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", the theory is presented as being based on just two postulates:The laws of physics are invariant (identical) in all inertial frames of reference. This is known as the principle of relativity. The speed of light in vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of the motion of light source or observer. This is known as the principle of light constancy, or the principle of light speed invariance.

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53 statements · 17% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Discovered by: Albert Einstein discovered: September 26, 1905
1
Sources
1.Stated in On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies“Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper”
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Has characteristic: mass in special relativity
Discovered: 1905
Permanent duplicated item: Formulations of special relativity
Invariant under: Lorentz transformation
Different from: general relativity

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Source last edited October 7, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). special relativity (Q11455). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/special-relativity-Q11455