Why does curved space time causes gravity?

The curvature of spacetime (not just space) is responsible for gravity. Literally, near heavy objects, the “future direction” points slightly down. So anything that moves forward in time will find its trajectory pointing down slightly. This takes the form of downward acceleration.

Do other forces curve spacetime?

It turns out that matter effectively curves space-time, but other forces, despite contributing to the stress-energy tensor, lead to some traceless contribution to the theory.

Why gravity is different from other forces?

Explanation: The electromagnetic force is effected by the photon. These particles are the way the force is transmitted. Gravity on the other hand is a consequence of the curvature of space time as described by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.

Why does matter curve spacetime?

When a smaller mass passes near a larger mass, it curves toward the larger mass because spacetime itself is curved toward the larger mass. The smaller mass is not “attracted” to the larger mass by any force. The smaller mass simply follows the structure of curved spacetime near the larger mass.

Why is gravity not a force?

In general relativity, gravity is not a force between masses. Instead gravity is an effect of the warping of space and time in the presence of mass. Without a force acting upon it, an object will move in a straight line. This explains why all objects fall at the same rate.

How does gravity affect space-time?

The gravitational field is really a curving of space and time. The stronger the gravity, the more spacetime curves, and the slower time itself proceeds. Time itself is slowing down and speeding up because of the relativistic way in which mass warps space and time.

How does space being curved make gravity pull us down?

In 1915, Albert Einstein figured out the answer when he published his theory of general relativity. The reason gravity pulls you toward the ground is that all objects with mass, like our Earth, actually bend and curve the fabric of the universe, called space-time. That curvature is what you feel as gravity.

Is gravity actually curved space?

If gravity is actually curved space and if falling objects are simply following the natural curves of space why does each object have its own curve? This is a great question which goes to the heart of why Einstein said gravity is the curvature of space-time, rather than just the curvature of space.

What is Einstein’s theory of gravity?

Einstein’s idea (discussed further on our relativity page) was that there is no such thing as a “force” of gravity which pulls things to the Earth; rather, the curved paths that falling objects appear to take are an illusion brought on by our inability to perceive the underlying curvature of the space we live in.

Why does a stationary object not follow the curvature of spacetime?

Only “freely” falling particles follow Spacetime curvature available to them. So, when you see a stationary object not following Spacetime curvature, it’s because an external force is preventing it from going to it’s inertial trajectory… Means, it’s not in “Free Fall”.

Do objects with mass experience gravitational acceleration when they fly?

It is fine to say that for an object flying past a massive object, the spacetime is curved by the massive object, and so the object flying past follows the curved path of the geodesic, so it “appears” to be experiencing gravitational acceleration.