The General Relativity Elevator Thing

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of General Relativity and how it states that in the vacuum of space, one cannot differentiate between a downward force caused by gravity or constant acceleration. The conversation also mentions a scenario where increasing speed and approaching the speed of light would result in a decrease in acceleration. This leads to the idea that passengers inside a rocket would still experience a constant acceleration, despite the decrease in coordinate acceleration as measured by an external observer. The conversation concludes with the acknowledgement that the concept may be confusing when considering different perspectives.
  • #1
Unlockitall
6
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O.k., correct me if I'm wrong because I'm new to the concepts of relativity and other stuff, but I have a question. General Relativity says that, in the vacuum of space, there is no way to tell whether a downward force is being caused by gravity or constant acelleration, right? Well, I thought of a way to find out. As your speed increased and aproached the speed of light, the rate of acelleration would slow down, right. I did some math out and found that, if you didn't know if you were on Earth or in one of these elevators, you could just wait like 130 minutes, then you would know. I don't know if this thought was good for anything, but I figured I'd share it anyway.
 
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  • #2
Consider a rocket propelled by an engine that can deliver a constant thrust for a long time. Even though its coordinate acceleration as measured by an external observer must decrease as the speed approaches c, passengers inside the rocket would still "feel" a constant acceleration.
 
  • #3
K, thanks. I guess I was confusing perspectives.
 

FAQ: The General Relativity Elevator Thing

1. What is "The General Relativity Elevator Thing"?

The General Relativity Elevator Thing is a thought experiment used to illustrate the principles of general relativity. It involves a hypothetical elevator that is in free-fall, and the effects of gravity on objects within the elevator.

2. How does the General Relativity Elevator Thing illustrate the principles of general relativity?

The elevator in free-fall represents a situation where there is no net force acting on the objects within it. According to general relativity, this is equivalent to being in a state of weightlessness in the absence of gravity. This thought experiment helps us understand how gravity affects objects in different frames of reference.

3. Why is the General Relativity Elevator Thing important in the study of physics?

The thought experiment helps us understand the concept of gravity and how it affects objects in different situations. It also illustrates the principles of general relativity, which is a fundamental theory in modern physics that explains the behavior of objects in the presence of gravity.

4. What is the significance of the elevator being in free-fall in this thought experiment?

In the absence of any external forces, objects within the elevator experience weightlessness. This is because they are in a state of free-fall, where the force of gravity is balanced by the inertial force of the elevator accelerating downwards. This illustrates the principle of equivalence in general relativity, where the effects of gravity and acceleration are indistinguishable.

5. How does the General Relativity Elevator Thing relate to real-life situations?

In real-life situations, the effects of gravity are always present, unlike in the thought experiment where the elevator is in free-fall. However, the principles of general relativity still apply, and the thought experiment helps us understand the effects of gravity in different scenarios, such as in space or on different planets.

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