Yes, you can make those statements to some extent. Let's break it down:
- Galilean Relativity: In Galilean relativity, which is based on classical mechanics, time and position are considered relative. According to Galilean relativity, the laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference frames. This means that two observers in different inertial frames, moving at constant velocities relative to each other, will measure the same time intervals and relative positions.
Time: In Galilean relativity, time is considered relative. Clocks in different inertial frames are expected to measure the same time intervals. If two observers are moving at a constant velocity relative to each other, they would measure the same duration for events.
Position: Similarly, position is considered relative in Galilean relativity. The positions of objects and the distances between them are expected to be the same for all observers in different inertial frames.
- Special Relativity: In special relativity, which supersedes Galilean relativity and accounts for the constancy of the speed of light, the concepts of time and space undergo modifications. Time and position are still relative, but the understanding of these concepts is more nuanced.
Time Interval: In special relativity, it is more accurate to say that time intervals are relative. The measurement of time intervals between events depends on the relative motion of the observer and the events being observed. Different observers in relative motion will measure different time intervals for the same events. This is known as time dilation.
Space: In special relativity, space itself is affected by the relative motion of observers. The concept of space is not simply a measure of absolute positions but rather the spacetime interval between events. In special relativity, the difference in position (spatial interval) between two events can be measured differently by observers in relative motion. This is referred to as length contraction.
So, in summary, in Galilean relativity, time and position are relative concepts, while in special relativity, time intervals and the spatial intervals (differences in position) are relative, but they undergo modifications due to the effects of time dilation and length contraction.