general relativity

American  

noun

1. Physics. relativity2

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General Relativity Scientific  

/ jĕn′ər-əl /

1. A geometrical theory of gravity developed by Albert Einstein in which gravity's effects are a consequence of the curvature of four-dimensional space-time. According to this theory, the energy and momentum of all matter and radiation cause curvature in space-time, in a way similar to the creation of electric and magnetic fields by electric charges and currents. This curvature also opens the possibility that the universe is closed, having finite volume but without any boundary. Among the many experimentally confirmed consequences of General Relativity are the perihelion precession of the planet Mercury, the bending of light in a gravitational field, and the slowing of time in a gravitational field.

2. See also closed universe equivalence principle Special Relativity

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Example Sentences

His theory of general relativity explains gravity as a bending of spacetime itself.

From Science Daily

Measuring how time behaves on distant worlds provides new tests of Einstein's theories of special and general relativity.

From Science Daily

Any realistic model of a black hole must include general relativity, since the intense gravity of these objects bends space and time in extreme ways.

From Science Daily

Their approach relies on a detailed theoretical model grounded in Einstein's theory of general relativity.

From Science Daily

These new measurements support a key prediction of general relativity and could help scientists investigate black hole spin, accretion physics, and how jets form.

From Science Daily