Image Caption
Then classical mechanics was one-upped by Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity because it explained more phenomena.
Image use policy: For non-commercial, educational purposes, this image may be used with a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Please credit as follows: © University of California Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Science, www.understandingscience.org
See where this image appears on the Understanding Science website »
This image is part of a series:

Even theories change (1 of 4)
Science is always a work in progress and even theories change. For example, in the 1600s classical mechanics was the accepted explanation of the movement of objects both in space…
Even theories change (3 of 4)
Then special relativity was superseded by another theory, general relativity.