Einstein's Universe — Live Experiments

01

Nobel Prize 1921 · Quantum Theory

The Photoelectric Effect

1905 — Annus Mirabilis

Einstein showed that light is not a continuous wave but arrives in discrete packets — photons. When light hits a metal surface, individual photons knock out electrons only if each photon has enough energy. Frequency matters; intensity merely increases electron count.

E = hf · KE = hf − φ

"For this discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect" — Nobel Committee, 1921. This shattered classical wave theory of light.

Live Simulation — Photoelectric Effect

Frequency 5.0

Intensity 5.0

02

Special Relativity · Mass-Energy Equivalence

E = mc²

1905 — Special Relativity Paper

The most famous equation in physics: mass and energy are the same thing, related by the square of the speed of light. A tiny mass contains an enormous amount of energy. This underpins nuclear reactions, particle physics, and our understanding of stellar fusion.

E = mc² = 9×10¹⁶ J per kg

Even 1 gram of matter, if fully converted, releases ~90 terajoules — enough to power a city for years.

Mass → Energy Converter

Mass (g) 1.0

03

Special Relativity · Time Dilation

The Twin Paradox

1905 — Time Dilation Consequence

One twin rockets away at near light-speed and returns. Time dilation means the traveling twin ages less. The faster you move through space, the slower you move through time. GPS satellites must correct for this effect or navigation errors would accumulate at ~10km/day.

Δt' = Δt · √(1 − v²/c²)

At 99% the speed of light, 1 year of travel equals ~7 years on Earth. You could reach the future, but never return to the past.

Twin Clock Simulation

Speed (%c) 80%

04

General Relativity · 1919 Solar Eclipse

Gravitational Lensing

1915–1919 — Proved by Eddington

General Relativity predicts that massive objects warp spacetime, bending the path of light. During the 1919 solar eclipse, Arthur Eddington measured stars near the Sun displaced exactly as Einstein predicted — twice what Newton's gravity alone would allow.

θ = 4GM / (rc²)

"Lights all askew in the heavens" — New York Times, 1919. Einstein became a global celebrity overnight after this confirmation.

Live Lens Simulation

Mass 40

Light Y 80

05

Statistical Physics · Atomic Theory

Brownian Motion

1905 — Proof of Atoms

Pollen grains suspended in water jiggle constantly and randomly. Einstein proved this motion is caused by billions of invisible water molecules constantly colliding with the pollen. His mathematical treatment provided the first concrete proof that atoms and molecules actually exist.

⟨x²⟩ = 2Dt · D = kT / (6πηr)

This single paper ended decades of debate about whether atoms were real or merely a useful fiction. Jean Perrin's experiments confirmed Einstein's equations precisely.

Molecular Collision Simulation

Temperature 4.0

Particles 30

06

General Relativity · Curvature of Spacetime

The Fabric of Spacetime

1915 — General Relativity

Einstein revolutionized gravity: it is not a force but the curvature of spacetime caused by mass. Planets orbit the Sun not because they're pulled, but because they follow the curved geometry of spacetime. This framework predicted black holes, gravitational waves, and the expanding universe.

Gμν + Λgμν = (8πG/c⁴) Tμν

Gravitational waves — ripples in spacetime — were directly detected by LIGO in 2015, exactly 100 years after Einstein's theory predicted them.

Spacetime Curvature Grid

Mass 50