Mach's Principle: Why Are Some Reference Frames Inertial, And Others Not?

Document Type

Article

Authors

Joseph Moonan Walbran, University of Minnesota - MorrisFollow

Abstract

Mach's principle is a conjecture that was popular among physicists in the early 1900s, and which still sees occasional interest today. The principle states that large accelerating masses induce a local inertial reference frame around them. This paper introduces the principle and its history, and discusses its influence on later theories, like Maxwellian theories of gravity and general relativity.

Recommended Citation

Moonan Walbran, Joseph (2022) "Mach's Principle: Why Are Some Reference Frames Inertial, And Others Not?," Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61366/2576-2176.1115
Available at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/horizons/vol9/iss2/9

Primo Type

Article