Car batteries powered by relativity
Friday, January 14, 2011 - 08:31
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- French physicist Gaston Plante invented the lead-acid battery in 1859 almost 50 years before Einstein developed his theories of relativity. Now scientists have found that the lead-acid battery, which is commonly used in cars, strongly relies on the effects of relativity. Specifically, the scientists calculated that 1.7-1.8 volts of the lead-acid batterys 2.1 volts (or about 80-85%) arise from relativistic effects.