Space and time in pre-relativity physics?

Question

Space and time in pre-relativity physics?

Answer 1

Before relativity:

1. Space and time were considered independent of each other; it was assumed that distances measured in space were completely irrelevant to intervals measured in time, and vice versa.

2. Space was considered to be an absolute reference frame; it was assumed to be a sort of invisible grid that was occupied by objects, and that to measure the distance between two objects, all you had to do was determine each object's coordinates on the grid, and apply some geometry rules.  It was assumed that all observers would get the same distance measurement, so that you could definitely, absolutely say how far apart two objects were.

3. Time was considered to be an absolute reference frame.  It was assumed that any given event occurred at an absolute, particular location in time, and that therefore you could definitely, absolutely say how much time elapsed between two events, and which one occurred first.

Answer 2

Relativity is divided into three general ideas or eras, each associated with a natural philosopher.

Aristotlean relativity is that all space and time is relative to some center (either the earth or the sun) and this is the natural reference point regardless of who you are or where you are from.

Galilean relativity is that whoever you are, you might as well base your measurements of the location of an event relatative your own current position.

With the advent of Maxwell's Laws, it was seen that implicit in the equations, was an absolute frame of reference, meaning the speed of light was constant, but in reference to what?  That was unknown.  It was presumed that careful measurement would indicate that Aristotle was actually right in part.  

Maxwell's laws seemed to indicate that though there was no special "position" marking the center of the universe, there was a special "speed" that we could call, for instance "stopped", to which everything else was in relative motion.

However, the observations of Hubble, and the experiments of Maxwell and Michelson seemed to determine that there was no such special speed.

Einstein and Lorentz determined that it is possible for the speed of light to be constant from the viewpoint of ALL observers, by realizing that a change in ones velocity is a change in a person's reality/observation/perception of space and time.

Answer 3

It's the title of a topic in Einstein book The meaning of relativity

(I have the 5th edition)

read it here

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=1045...

hope this help