(4thQ-Lesson 7 - General Relativity and Its Consequences

GENERAL RELATIVITY
AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION:
The General Theor y Relativity describes the generalization of the

Special Theor y of Relativity. Albert Einstein spent 10 years trying to
include acceleration in the theory and published his theory of
general relativity in 1915. It includes a new framework for all of
physics and proposed new concepts of space and time. Thus, it is
considered as the extension of the special relativity. It applies
special relativity to the concept of acceleration and includes the
effects of accelerating objects and their mass on space- time. It also
explains the concepts of gravity.
This learning plan is designed for you
to:
• explain the consequences of the

LEARNING postulates of General Relativity (e.g.,
correct predictions of shifts in the
OBJECTIVE: orbit of Mercury, gravitational
bending of light, and black holes).
WARPING
SPACE AND
TIME
Newtonʼs law of gravitation states that gravity is
the result of an attractive force between two
objects by virtue of their masses.
WARPING
On the other hand, General Relativity considers
SPACE AND gravity as the product of curving and warping of

space-time due to the presence of mass and
TIME energy.
With this, a gravity is considered as a product of

space- time warping instead of force.
WARPING SPACE AND TIME
Warping of space-time can be illustrated
by using a rubber sheet as a
representation of space-time. By rolling a
ball across the sheet, we can notice that
the ball rolls in a straight line. However, if
we place heavy object at the middle of the
rubber sheets, the sheet gets distorted. If
the ball is rolled again, it will not move in
a straight line, instead it will curve due to
the distortion of the sheet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m3SddsTSAY
TWO POSTULATES OF
THEORY OF GENERAL
RELATIVITY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6kreUskcpo
TWO POSTULATES OF THEORY OF GENERAL RELATIVITY
1. The principle of equivalence says that the effects of

gravity and acceleration are the same. According to
Einstein, people do not feel their own weight in free fall. His
theory states that a person inside a rocket that accelerates
at 9.8 m /s 2 will feel the same effects of gravity on the
surface of Earth. There is no way that person of could tell
whether he or she is at rest on the surface of the planet or
being accelerated in space.
TWO POSTULATES OF THEORY OF GENERAL RELATIVITY
2. Gravity is not a force but a consequence of the

curvature of space-time, caused by the uneven
distribution of mass /energy.
GENERAL
RELATIVITY AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES
1. GENERAL
RELATIVITY IS THE
EXPLANATION ON
THE PERIHELION
SHIFT OF MERCURY.
Planets rotate in an elliptical orbit around
the sun. However, there is a slight shift in
General
the perihelion and the aphelion because of
Relativity is the
the influence of the other planets.
explanation on Aphelion is the point of the planetʼs orbit
the perihelion that is farthest from the Sun while
shift of Mercury. perihelion is the point of the planetʼs orbit
that is nearest to the Sun.
Mercury slowly shift path and did not
follow a precise elliptical orbit. Its shift is
General
larger than expected while its perihelion
Relativity is the
advances two degrees per century. Eighty
explanation on
seconds of that advance is accounted for
the perihelion perturbations from the other planets.
shift of Mercury. Forty seconds remain unexplained before
Einsteinʼ relativity.
General Relativity is the explanation
on the perihelion shif t of Mercur y.
As Mercury moves toward its

perihelion, where its closest to
the sun, it also moves deeper
into the Sunʼs gravity. Being the
planet nearest to the sun,
Mercury is most affected by the
sunʼs warping of space-time.
2. GENERAL RELATIVITY
STATES THAT LIGHT CAN
BE BENT BY MASSIVE
OBJECTS SUCH AS A STAR.
Gravity can bend light just like a lens. This process is
General
known as gravitational lensing. Light can be bent when
Relativity states
it travels along a warped space near a massive object.
that light can be
bent by massive In 1919, the prediction of Einstein that light can be bent
objects such as by gravity was confirmed by Arthur Eddington through
a star. his actual solar eclipse observation.
During a solar eclipse, light from distant stars that
General
passes very near the sun can be observed. The
Relativity states
stars shifted position as observed by Eddington.
that light can be
bent by massive
This is consistent with what Einstein predicted.
objects such as Eddingtonʼs experiment provided empirical evidence
a star. for Einsteinʼs theory.
General Relativity states that light can be bent by massive
objects such as a star.
Both theories, Newtonian Gravity and General Relativity,

has predicted the gravitational bending of light.
Today, gravitational lensing is measured by the deflection

of radio waves emitted by distant galaxies called quasars.
GENERAL RELATIVITY
STATES THAT LIGHT
CAN BE BENT BY
MASSIVE OBJECTS
SUCH AS A STAR.
3. GENERAL RELATIVITY
ALSO PREDICTED THE
EXISTENCE OF BODIES
MASSIVE ENOUGH TO PULL
LIGHT PREVENT IT FROM
ESCAPING.
A star is a sphere of hot, glowing gases
General
made up of mostly helium and hydrogen.
Relativity also
predicted the
It converts hydrogen into helium to
existence of
produce the necessary pressure to
bodies massive balance the force of gravity.
enough to pull
When the star ages, it eventually
light prevent it consumes its hydrogen and dies.
from escaping.
General Relativity
also predicted the There is a formation of black hole
existence of when the star involve is three or
bodies massive more times as massive as the sun
enough to pull collapses from its own gravity.
light prevent it
from escaping.
The crushing weight of the constituent matter
General
falling from all sides compresses the dying star
Relativity also to a point of zero volume and infinite density.
predicted the
This point is called the singularity that serves as
existence of
the center of a black hole. The black hole has its
bodies massive opening called the event horizon which is
enough to pull thought to be the mouth of the black hole.
The radius of the event horizon is called the

light prevent it
Schwarzchild radius. The size of the radius is
from escaping. proportional to the mass of the dying star.
There are some black holes that are very massive, in the order of
hundreds and thousands to billion times of solar masses. It is
believed to be found at the center of the galaxy. Nothing, not even
light can leave the black hole because the gravity beyond the event
horizon is so strong. It requires an escape velocity greater than the
speed of light in vacuum. However, the speed of light, 3 x 10 8 m /s
is the maximum speed that can be attained. Moreover, a black hole
is black because it absorbs all light incident upon it.
The existence of black holes
is predicted by Einsteinʼs
theory of relativity. General
relativity displaces Newtonʼs
law of universal gravitation
using the warping of space-
time by mass to explain
gravitational attraction
instead of using the concept
of forces. In essence,
massive bodies warp and
curve their local space-time.
THANK YOU!
M EL AN IE B. R AM OS
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GENERAL RELATIVITY

The General Theor y Relativity describes the generalization of the

• explain the consequences of the

SPACE AND gravity as the product of curving and warping of

With this, a gravity is considered as a product of

1. The principle of equivalence says that the effects of

2. Gravity is not a force but a consequence of the

As Mercury moves toward its

Both theories, Newtonian Gravity and General Relativity,

Today, gravitational lensing is measured by the deflection

enough to pull thought to be the mouth of the black hole.

The radius of the event horizon is called the

Sub jec t Tea c her

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