18 Feb '09 19:59>
Originally posted by jaywill….Does the curvature of space-time somehow cause Velocity ?
Does the curvature of spacetime somehow cause Velocity ?
Does it cause energy to be exerted on the object with lesser mass ?
The diagrams I have repeatedly seen to demonstrate the curvature of spacetime around mass seem to still depend upon a concept of gravity. The orbiting object dips down into the indentation of the graph supposedly drawn to ass ...[text shortened]... acetime.
If you have any additional insight to make it clear to a layman, try again please.
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Do you mean “acceleration” and not “velocity“? And are you referring to a falling object in 3D space? -if so, the answer to this question depends on the context of the frame of reference:
for an inertial frame of reference ( http://www.complore.com/inertial-frame-reference ) the answer is yes -it is the downward acceleration due to gravity:
but for an inertial frame of reference accelerating downwards at the exact magnitude of acceleration due to gravity, the answer is no!
that’s why when you are in freefall you feel no acceleration!
….Does it cause energy to be exerted on the object with lesser mass ?
..…
Do you mean “force” and not “energy“?
…The diagrams I have repeatedly seen to demonstrate the curvature of spacetime around mass seem to still depend upon a concept of gravity..…
You really must understand that no analogy is perfect. That diagram is perhaps the best we can do for an analogy given the very extreme awkwardness of the concept it is supposed to represent because it is actually virtually impossible for our brains to directly visualise 4D curvature!