- 01Why classical assumptions fail
- 02Coordinate systems for embankment and train
- 03Lorentz transformation and light propagation
- 01Length contraction of a moving metre-rod
- 02Time dilation of a moving seconds-clock
- 01Velocity Addition in Galilean and Relativistic Form
- 02Fizeau’s Moving-Liquid Experiment
- 01Lorentz transformation and covariance of natural laws
- 01Relativity’s impact on electrodynamics and classical mechanics
- 02Mass–energy equivalence and conservation laws
- 03No instantaneous action at a distance
- 01Experimental support from electromagnetic phenomena
- 02Electron contraction hypothesis
Relativity: The Special and General Theory
by Albert Einstein · 1916 · 12 chapters · 24/7 tutor
Accessible account of relativity.
12Chapters
32Lessons
73Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Explain the core ideas behind special relativity and its historical motivation
- Apply the Lorentz transformation to compare measurements between moving reference frames
- Describe how time dilation, length contraction, and velocity addition arise in relativity
- Summarize the principles of general relativity and the role of inertial and gravitational mass
- Interpret spacetime concepts such as Minkowski space and non-Euclidean geometry in gravitational theory
- Identify major empirical predictions of general relativity, including Mercury’s perihelion shift and light deflection
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 12
- Lessons
- 32
- Topics
- 73
- 01Fizeau experiment and the law of motion
- 02Earth motion, æther-drift, and the Michelson-Morley experiment
- 03Relativistic interpretation of length contraction
- 01Four-dimensional space-time continuum
- 02Minkowski’s formal contribution to relativity
- 01Part II: The General Theory of Relativity
- 01Special principle of relativity and Galilean reference-bodies
- 02General principle of relativity and non-uniform motion
- 01Gravitational field as the cause of falling bodies
- 02Equality of gravitational and inertial mass
- 01Accelerated chest and gravitational field
- 02Equality of inertial and gravitational mass
- 03Limits of eliminating gravitational fields
- 01Unsatisfactory foundations of mechanics and relativity
- 01Light rays in gravitational fields
- 02Special relativity as a limiting case
- 03Toward the general law of gravitation
- 01Rotating disc as a gravitational field
- 02Clock rates on the disc
- 03Measuring-rods and non-Euclidean geometry
- 01Euclidean continuum and Cartesian coordinates on a marble slab
- 02Thermal expansion and non-Euclidean behavior of rods
- 03Gauss and Riemann on non-Euclidean continua
- 01Curvilinear coordinates on a surface
- 02Extension to higher-dimensional continua
- 03Limits of the Gaussian method
- 01Minkowski’s four-dimensional space-time continuum
- 01Non-Euclidean space-time continuum
- 02Physical meaning of Gaussian coordinates
- 03Space-time coincidences as physical statements
- 01Exact formulation of the general principle of relativity
- 02Solution of the problem of gravitation on the basis of the general principle of relativity
- 01Newtonian limit and deviations from Newton's theory
- 02Mercury's perihelion advance
- 03Light bending and spectral-line displacement
- 01Seeliger’s cosmological difficulty
- 02Newtonian gravity and infinite matter density
- 03Modification of the inverse-square law
- 04Proof that the field becomes infinite
- 01Two-dimensional flat and spherical universes
- 02Three-dimensional spherical space and curved-space analogies
- 03Closed spaces without limits and the cosmic question
- 01Quasi-Euclidean universe and zero average density
- 02Spherical universe and finite space-expanse
- 01Light-signal equations for x and x′
- 02Determining the constants from relative motion and length measurements
- 01Lorentz transformation on the x-axis
- 02Extension to arbitrary direction and light propagation
- 01Derivation of the Lorentz transformation
- 02Generalised Lorentz transformation and spatial rotations
- 01Minkowski’s four-dimensional world
- 01Experimental confirmation of general relativity
- 02Motion of the perihelion of Mercury
- 01Light deflection in a gravitational field
- 01Clock rates in a rotating disc
- 02Gravitational redshift of spectral lines
- 03Observational confirmation from Sirius B
- 01Cosmological hypotheses and expanding space
- 02Finite or infinite character of space
- 03Project Gutenberg colophon and corrections
01How many chapters are in the Relativity: The Special and General Theory course?
The Relativity: The Special and General Theory course has 12 chapters, each with its own lessons and topics.
02How many lessons are in the Relativity: The Special and General Theory course?
There are 32 lessons across the course, and you can ask your 24/7 tutor about any of them.
03Can I see what the Relativity: The Special and General Theory course covers before I start?
Yes. The full curriculum is listed on this page, beginning with "Section II we can imagine this reference-body supplemented".
04Do I get a certificate for the Relativity: The Special and General Theory course?
Yes. Finishing the course earns a personal Cavua certificate of completion.
Keep exploring
View all PhysicsMore in Physics.
Cavua Seed Library
Principia Mathematica
PhysicsAdvanced
52chapters17h 48m
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
With membership
Or preview chapter 1 free
Updated Oct 2026
Learn with AI
Ready to start this course?
Create your account to enroll, talk to your 24/7 tutor, and track your progress — across every device.