测量时空:从大爆炸到黑洞

Every measurement provides three kinds of information: the size or magnitude of the measurement (a number), a standard of comparison for the measurement (a unit), and an indication of the uncertainty of the measurement. While the number and unit are explicitly represented when a quantity is written, the uncertainty is an aspect of the errors in the measurement results.

No object with a finite mass can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This fact has an interesting consequence in the domain of extremely high gravitational fields.
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape velocity with the...

Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...

In 1905, Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity. According to this theory, no matter in the universe can attain a speed greater than the speed of light in a vacuum, which thus serves as the speed limit of the universe.
This has been verified in many experiments. However, space and time are no longer absolute. Two observers moving relative to one another do not agree on the length of objects or the passage of time. The mechanics of objects based on Newton's laws of motion,...

Electronic Distance Measuring Instruments (EDMs) are essential tools in modern surveying, offering precise distance measurements by emitting electromagnetic signals and calculating the time required for these signals to travel to a target and return. Two primary types of signals are used in EDMs — light waves and microwaves — each suited to specific environmental and distance requirements. Light-wave-based EDMs utilize either infrared or laser light, providing high accuracy over short distances...

When an object's velocity changes over time, the total distance traveled can be determined by summing small displacement intervals over short increments. This approach approximates the true distance through numerical summation and the use of integral calculus. An estimate of the total displacement can be obtained by measuring velocity at regular intervals and multiplying each value by the corresponding time step.If a runner accelerates over the first three seconds of a race, speed measurements...