SHS

PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Quarter 2 – Week 7
Module 7 - Postulates of General
Relativity
Physical Science
Grade 11/12 Quarter 2 - Module 7 - Postulates of General Relativity
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: SHEMA L. GUIAD, T-I

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent

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Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

German E. Flora, PhD, CID Chief

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Rominel S. Sobremonte, Ed.D., EPS in Charge of Science

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II

Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

 Physical Science
Quarter 2 – Week 7
Module 7 - Postulates of
General Relativity
 Target

In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are

the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light
in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers. This was
the theory of special relativity. It introduced a new framework for all of
physics and proposed new concepts of space and time.

In your previous lesson, you have learned about how special

relativity resolved the conflict between Newtonian mechanics and
Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. You also learned the postulates of
special relativity and its application to the natural world.

This module will provide you with information and activities that
will help you understand the consequences of the postulates of general
relativity.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. explain the consequences of the postulates of General Relativity (e.g., correct

predictions of shifts in the orbit of Mercury, gravitational bending of light, and
black holes) (S11/12PS-IVi-j-71)

Before going on, check how much you know about this topic. Answer
the pretest on the next page in a separate sheet of paper.

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 Module
Consequences of General Relativity

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Jumpstart

For you to understand the lesson well, do the following activity.

Have fun and good luck!

Activity: Ant Analogy!

Imagine yourself as the superhero in a movie entitled “Ant Man”. You walk in
a straight rubber sheet, simulating empty space with no mass in it. Walk on one side
of the sheet in a beautiful straight line over to the other side. Then, put a big stone
in the middle of a rubber sheet and walk again (see figure 1 for reference).

Stone’s weight

Figure 1. The Ant’s Path

Questions:
1. What happened to the rubber sheet upon putting a big stone in the middle?
2. Based from the two path you have travelled, which path takes longer? Why?
3. “Einstein concluded that we live in a curved spacetime” explain this
conclusion based on the ant analogy.

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 Discover

Consequences of General Relativity

What Einstein proposed was nothing less than a major revolution in our
understanding of space and time. It was a new theory of gravity, in which mass
determines the curvature of spacetime and that curvature, in turn, controls how
objects move. Like all new ideas in science, no matter who advances them, Einstein’s
theory had to be tested by comparing its predictions against the experimental
evidence. This was quite a challenge because the effects of the new theory were
apparent only when the mass was quite large. (For smaller masses, it required
measuring techniques that would not become available until decades later.)

When the distorting mass is small, the predictions of general relativity must
agree with those resulting from Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which, after
all, has served us admirably in our technology and in guiding space probes to the
other planets. In familiar territory, therefore, the differences between the predictions
of the two models are subtle and difficult to detect. Nevertheless, Einstein was able
to demonstrate one proof of his theory that could be found in existing data and to
suggest another one that would be tested just a few years later.

The Motion of Mercury

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Figure 2. Mercury’s Wobble: The major axis of the orbit of a planet, such as Mercury, rotates
in space slightly because of various perturbations. In Mercury’s case, the amount of rotation
(or orbital precession) is a bit larger than can be accounted for by the gravitational forces
exerted by other planets; this difference is precisely explained by the general theory of
relativity. Mercury, being the planet closest to the Sun, has its orbit most affected by the
warping of spacetime near the Sun. The change from orbit to orbit has been significantly
exaggerated on this diagram.

Of the planets in our solar system, Mercury orbits closest to the Sun and is
thus most affected by the distortion of spacetime produced by the Sun’s mass.
Einstein wondered if the distortion might produce a noticeable difference in the
motion of Mercury that was not predicted by Newton’s law. It turned out that the
difference was subtle, but it was definitely there. Most importantly, it had already
been measured.

Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit, so that it is only about two-thirds as far
from the Sun at perihelion as it is at aphelion. The gravitational effects
(perturbations) of the other planets on Mercury produce a calculable advance of
Mercury’s perihelion. What this means is that each successive perihelion occurs in
a slightly different direction as seen from the Sun (Figure 2).

According to Newtonian gravitation, the gravitational forces exerted by the

planets will cause Mercury’s perihelion to advance by about 531 seconds of arc
(arcsec) per century. In the nineteenth century, however, it was observed that the
actual advance is 574 arcsec per century. The discrepancy was first pointed out in
1859 by Urbain Le Verrier, the co-discoverer of Neptune. Just as discrepancies in
the motion of Uranus allowed astronomers to discover the presence of Neptune, so it
was thought that the discrepancy in the motion of Mercury could mean the presence
of an undiscovered inner planet. Astronomers searched for this planet near the Sun,
even giving it a name: Vulcan, after the Roman god of fire. (The name would later be
used for the home planet of a famous character on a popular television show about
future space travel.)

But no planet has ever been found nearer to the Sun than Mercury, and the
discrepancy was still bothering astronomers when Einstein was doing his
calculations. General relativity, however, predicts that due to the curvature of
spacetime around the Sun, the perihelion of Mercury should advance slightly more
than is predicted by Newtonian gravity. The result is to make the major axis of
Mercury’s orbit rotate slowly in space because of the Sun’s gravity alone. The
prediction of general relativity is that the direction of perihelion should change by an
additional 43 arcsec per century. This is remarkably close to the observed
discrepancy, and it gave Einstein a lot of confidence as he advanced his theory. The
relativistic advance of perihelion was later also observed in the orbits of several
asteroids that come close to the Sun.

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Deflection of Starlight

Einstein’s second test was something that had not been observed before and
would thus provide an excellent confirmation of his theory. Since space time is more
curved in regions where the gravitational field is strong, we would expect light
passing very near the Sun to appear to follow a curved path (Figure 3), just like that
of the ant in our analogy. Einstein calculated from general relativity theory that
starlight just grazing the Sun’s surface should be deflected by an angle of 1.75
arcsec. Could such a deflection be observed?

Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/spacetime-and-gravity/

Figure 3. Curvature of Light Paths near the Sun: Starlight passing near the Sun
is deflected slightly by the “warping” of space time. (This deflection of starlight is one
small example of a phenomenon called gravitational lensing.) Before passing by the
Sun, the light from the star was traveling parallel to the bottom edge of the figure.
When it passed near the Sun, the path was altered slightly. When we see the light,
we assume the light beam has been traveling in a straight path throughout its
journey, and so we measure the position of the star to be slightly different from its
true position. If you were to observe the star at another time, when the Sun is not in
the way, you would measure its true position.

During a total solar eclipse, much of the Sun’s light is blocked out, allowing
the stars near the Sun to be photographed. In a paper published during World War
I, Einstein suggested that photographic observations during an eclipse could reveal
the deflection of light passing near the Sun.

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Black Hole

Figure 4. Black Hole

Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/black-holes/

The most fundamental prediction of general relativity is the existence of black

holes. A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light
cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny
space. This can happen when a star is dying. Because no light can get out, people
can't see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help
find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes
act differently than other stars.

Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are
as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a
large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object. Another kind
of black hole is called "stellar." Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass
of the sun. There may be many, many stellar mass black holes in Earth's galaxy.
Earth's galaxy is called the Milky Way. The largest black holes are called
"supermassive." These black holes have masses that are more than 1 million suns
together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive
black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way
galaxy is called Sagittarius A. It has a mass equal to about 4 million suns and would
fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.

A black hole cannot be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into
the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the
stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are
flying around, or orbiting, a black hole. When a black hole and a star are close
together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human
eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.

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 Explore

To master and strengthen the basic concepts you have

learned from this lesson here is an enrichment
activity for you to work on.

Enrichment Activity: Into a Black Hole!

Direction: Read and comprehend the passage below. Then, answer the question/s
being asked. Use separate sheet of paper for your answer.

You are an outer space explorer lost off course. Suddenly your radar shows
that you are coming up fast on a black hole! There’s nothing to be done, so you brace
yourself for the impact. Amazingly, you are still alive! What happened? What did you
find in the black hole? Write your answer inside the box.

Excellent job! You have understood the lesson.

Are you now ready to summarize?

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 Deepen

Love of Lab: Warping Space-Time!

Objectives:
• Simulate warping of space-time
• Determine the effect of mass and size of an object on the warping of space-
time

Materials:
Weighing scale tape measure
Rubber sheet or thin foam tape
3 balls of the same radius but different masses marker/ballpen
3 balls of the same mass but different sizes

Procedure:
A. Effect of Mass of Object on Warping of Space-Time
1. Label the balls (with same radius) 1,2, and 3 with tape and
marker/ballpen.
2. Determine the individual masses of the three balls using the weighing
scale. Record the masses.
3. Place one ball at the middle of the rubber sheet or foam. Observe the
corresponding curving of the rubber sheet.
4. Repeat step 3 using the two other balls.
5. Rank the curving of the rubber sheet produced by the balls, with 1 as
the least curved.

Data and Results

Table 1. Effect of Mass of Object on Warping of Space-Time
Ball Number Mass Ranking
1.
2.
3.

B. Effect of Size of Object on Warping of Space-Time

1. Label the balls (with same mass) 4,5, and 6 with tape and
marker/ballpen.
2. Measure the individual diameters of the three balls using the tape
measure. Record the diameters.
3. Place one ball at the middle of the rubber sheet or foam. Observe the
corresponding curving of the rubber sheet.
4. Repeat step 3 using the two other balls.

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 5. Rank the curving of the rubber sheet produced by the balls, with 1 as
the least curved.

Data and Results:

Table 2. Effect of Size of Object on Warping of Space-Time
Ball Number Diameter Ranking
4.
5.
6.

Conclusion:

Post-Laboratory Questions:
1. Which do you think would warp space-time more: Earth or Jupiter? Why?
2. What relation exists, if any, between (a) the mass and the amount of warping
and (b) the size and the amount of warping?

Gauge

Direction: Read carefully each item. Write only the letter of the best answer
for each test item. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.

1. What phenomenon can warp space time?

A. Magnetic field
B. Nuclear energy
C. Gravitational field
D. Electromagnetic field
2. According to general relativity, time operates differently in gravitational fields.
What happens?
A. Time slows down
B. Time speeds up
C. Time is the same
D. Time stops
3. Who wrote the theory of general relativity that was published 100 years ago?
A. Max Plank
B. Richard Feynman
C. Thomas Edison
D. Albert Einstein

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4. What natural phenomenon does general relativity explains?
A. Electricity
B. Radiation
C. Gravity
D. Black holes
5. Which of the following key component of general relativity that pertains to the
idea that the space and time are part of a single, four-dimensional continuum?
A. Gravity
B. Spacetime
C. Black holes
D. The interstellar medium
6. According to Newton, gravity was a force. How about Einstein?
A. Force
B. Curvature
C. Mystery
D. Constant velocity
7. Which of the following is called the 'point of no return' for a black hole?
A. Singularity
B. Event horizon
C. Jets
D. Accretion disk
8. What is gravitational lensing?
A. slowing down of time around a black hole
B. light bending around a massive object
C. light moving in a straight line around a massive object
D. light bending as it goes from one medium to another
9. Which would not typically be found around black hole?
A. Accretion disk
B. Jet
C. Wormhole
D. Orbiting companion star
10. According to Einstein, why do objects accelerate around massive bodies?
A. a force is pulling them
B. space is pushing them
C. a gravity is pulling them
D. a gravity pushing them
11. What would happen to Earth's orbit if the Sun collapsed to a black hole?
A. it would get sucked into it
B. it would get flung out of its orbit
C. it would explode
D. Nothing, Earth will orbit the sun as usual.
12. Which theory explains the geometric description of gravity as a curvature of
spacetime around massive bodies?
A. Theory of Special Relativity
B. Law of Universal Gravitation
C. Theory of General Relativity
D. Photoelectric Theory

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13. When scientists are looking for black holes they look for large sources of what
type of light that is emitted from the area surrounding the black hole?
A. x-ray
B. gamma ray
C. infrared
D. visible
14. What happens to gravitational waves the further you are away from the
source?
A. they get weaker
B. they get stronger
C. nothing
D. they become more noticeable
15. Massive stars that are not quite large enough to turn into a black hole will
turn into what when they collapse?
A. white dwarf
B. neutron star
C. red giant
D. binary star

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 15
Jumpstart: (Activity: Analogy)
Q1. The rubber sheet distorted or warped.
Q2. The longer path is the one distorted because it is stretch or bent down.
Q3. Life is not easy. We encounter ups and downs in our life just like the path
were travelling.
Explore: (Enrichment Activity: Into a Black Hole)
Answer: I’m still alive after coming up fast on a black hole because the black hole
is a stellar mass that has a more dramatic gravitational gradient that’s why
I’m still alive. What I find in the black hole is a gravitational magnification
or the “lensing” effect.
Deepen: (Love of Lab: Warping of Space-time)
Conclusion
Assuming that the sizes of balls are equal, the greater the mass, the greater
the warping of space-time. If the masses of the balls are equal but their diameters
are different, the smaller the ball, the more concentrated is its mass, the greater
the warping of space-time.
Post-Laboratory Questions
1. Jupiter would warp space-time more than Earth because its mass is 317
times than Earth.
2. The greater the mass, the greater the warping of space-time. The smaller
the object, the more concentrated is the mass of the object, the greater the
warping of space-time.
Gauge:
1. C 6. B 11. D
2. A 7. B 12. C
3. D 8. B 13. A
4. C 9. D 14. A
5. B 10. C 15. B
Answer Key
References

Printed Materials

Dasas, Melody D. and Villavert, Joam C. Exploring Life Through Science Series
(Learning Guide). Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 2016

Santiago, Karen S. and Silverio, Angelina A. Exploring Life Through Science

Series. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 2016

Links
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/58da87313953254a5bf9ac2c/general-
relativity

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/black-holes/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/astronomy/chapter/spacetime-and-
gravity/

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-
knows/what-is-a-black-hole-k4.html

https://blackholecam.org/general-relativity/

https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/what-is-a-black-hole/

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