UCSB Science Line
Sponge Spicules Nerve Cells Galaxy Abalone Shell Nickel Succinate X-ray Lens Lupine
UCSB Science Line
Home
How it Works
Ask a Question
Search Topics
Webcasts
Our Scientists
Science Links
Contact Information
Hi! How can I calculate the time dilation of an object in a gravitational field relative to an object that is not experiencing gravity? Would I be able to use the gravitational time dilation formula if I only knew the gravitational acceleration that I was experiencing and "my" time? Thank you for your help!
Question Date: 2010-04-23
Answer 1:

This is another question that requires general relativity to answer. The short of it is that something which is in a gravity well will experience time dilation relative to something outside of that well. This is actually needed for GPS to work accurately: here on Earth time passes ever-so-slightly more slowly than it does for the satellites in orbit. Again, you need some pretty advanced math in order to even touch general relativity quantitatively, which I as a biologist never was exposed to.



Click Here to return to the search form.

University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory National Science Foundation
This program is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and UCSB School-University Partnerships
Copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California,
All Rights Reserved.
UCSB Terms of Use