General relativity is a theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915. It is the current description of gravitation in classical physics. General relativity generalizes special relativity and Newton's law of universal gravitation, providing a unified description of gravity as a geometric property of space and time, or spacetime.
Key Concepts
- Curved Spacetime: General relativity posits that massive objects cause spacetime to curve.
- Geodesics: Objects in spacetime move along the shortest path, known as geodesics.
- Gravitational Waves: Ripples in spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects.
Historical Significance
- Einstein's Field Equations: The mathematical formulation of general relativity, which describes the relationship between mass, energy, and spacetime curvature.
- Testing General Relativity: Experiments and observations that confirm the predictions of general relativity, such as the bending of light by gravity and the existence of gravitational waves.
Related Links
Images
Einstein's Portrait
Spacetime Curvature
Gravitational Waves