![]() A rolling marble on the surface follows a curved path, or “orbits” the central mass, giving convincing evidence of the parallel between the sheet and the action of gravity. The bending of the surface caused by the mass pulling the sheet down is used to illustrate the curvature of spacetime in general relativity. ![]() One common analogy used to introduce general relativity is the idea of a “mass on a rubber sheet” or “bowling ball on a trampoline”. While physicists can use the equations, even they need to use analogies to build a deep understanding of such counterintuitive concepts. That space and time can be mixed and curved is contradictory to all our everyday experiences. But what does the “curvature of spacetime” mean? It is hard to get your head around this mind-bending concept! In relativity, space and time are mixed together into “spacetime” and gravity is explained by the curved geometry of this combination. In developing general relativity, Einstein showed that gravity is the curvature of spacetime due to the presence of mass and energy. One of the most startling and remarkable discoveries of the 20 th century was that gravity is not a mysterious, invisible force. To learn more about general relativity and black holes and find ready-to-use, hands-on activities you can do with your class, download the free resource here. The authors were inspired to write this article while they worked on Perimeter Institute’s new black hole resource together. Philip Freeman ( ), Teacher, sd38 (Richmond) Richmond, BC Kelly Foyle ( ), Outreach Scientist, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
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