Why Special Relativity?
Clarence L. Dulaney
Keywords: Special Relativity, Einstein, speed of light
In this centennial year of Albert Einstein?s paper ?Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Korper?, it seems pertinent to ask what possessed Einstein to write this paper. He stated two reasons: first, he wanted to resolve the ?asymmetries? of the explanation of relative move-ments of a magnet and a conductor; second, he wanted to show that the speed of light in free space is independent of the motion of the emitter. This paper shows that his explanation of the ?asymmetries? was vague, and that he presented an incorrect equation in his ?proof? of the second objective.
