Mondo Knows Facts
Clocks run slower in stronger gravitational fields
General relativity proves that gravity curves spacetime and slows down the passage of time
Einstein's theory of general relativity demonstrates that massive objects warp the surrounding fabric of spacetime. A clock situated closer to a dense gravitational body ticks noticeably slower than a clock located further away in space. Satellite navigation systems must compensate daily for this time dilation to keep positioning accurate.
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Tags: physics, relativity, gravity
Clocks run slower in stronger gravitational fields: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- General relativity proves that gravity curves spacetime and slows down the passage of time. The figure is taken from NIST, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a science fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.