Lorentz transformation

The Lorentz transformation is a mathematical framework in special relativity that describes how measurements of space and time change between observers in relative motion. It explains why observers moving at different constant speeds will measure different time intervals and lengths.

The equations were first derived by Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz in 1904 to explain the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment. Albert Einstein later incorporated these transformations as a core foundation of his 1905 theory of special relativity.

Time dilation is a direct result of the Lorentz transformation, showing that a clock moving relative to an observer will tick slower than a stationary clock. This effect becomes mathematically significant only as an object's velocity approaches the speed of light.

The mathematics predicts length contraction, meaning an object in motion will appear shorter along its direction of travel to a stationary observer. This fundamental shift in understanding proved that space and time are not absolute.