Glossary

General relativity

Einstein's 1915 theory of gravity as the curvature of spacetime by mass and energy.

Image: F. W. Dyson, A. S. Eddington & C. Davidson. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Source)

Completed in 1915, general relativity describes gravity not as a force but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. Objects in free fall simply follow the straightest available paths through this curved geometry.

Its predictions — the bending of starlight (confirmed by the 1919 eclipse), the precession of Mercury's orbit, gravitational redshift, black holes and gravitational waves — have passed every experimental test for over a century.

Try it yourself

The dent in the sheet Set the mass, give a ball a push and watch it circle the dent. On the page: General Relativity tried The ellipse that turns The puzzle Newton’s theory could not solve: Mercury’s orbit creeps round. On the page: General Relativity tried Stars at the edge of the Sun In 1919 stars shifted in the sky – by about as much as Einstein had predicted, and not by half as much as Newton’s theory implied. On the page: General Relativity tried Eddington’s light table Lay the 1919 eclipse plate over the night plate and measure for yourself how far the stars near the Sun have moved. On the page: General Relativity tried GPS without the relativity correction What happens if you leave Einstein out of navigation? Worked out day by day. On the page: Death, Brain & Legacy tried Knowledge quiz: life & physics Questions on Einstein’s life and physics – with an explanation and a source for every answer. On the page: Learn
Source: Wikipedia: General relativity — Read the full article on Wikipedia.

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