Senior High School

Physical Science
Postulates of General Relativity
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 Learning Objectives:
a. define General Theory of Relativity
b. explain the consequences of the postulates of general relativity
c. give examples where General Theory of Relativity was applied

PRE-TEST

Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is a force that pulls the objects with mass together?
A. Gravity B. Magnet C. Motion D. Weight
2. According to the General Theory of Relativity, which of the following causes
curve in space?
A. Energy B. Force C. Gravity D. Mass
3. Which of the following is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that
even light cannot get out?
A. Black hole B. Singularity
C. Accretion disc D. Gravitational wave
4. Which of the following was explained by the General Theory of Relativity?
A. Force B. Gravity C. Mass D. Light
5. Which of the following is a disturbance in the regular elliptical movement
pattern of a certain celestial body?
A. Perturbation B. Precession C. Revolution D. Rotation
6. Which planet is said to be most affected by the gravitational force of the sun?
A. Earth B. Mars C. Mercury D. Venus
7. Which of the following theory explains gravity?
A. Evolution B. Motion
C. General relativity D. Special relativity
8. Which of the following does NOT belong to the consequences of postulates of
General Relativity?
A. Black hole
B. Bending of light
C. Precession of the Mercury
D. Constant speed of light in a vacuum and observers

9. Which of the following is TRUE about black hole?

A. The black hole will suck up its neighboring objects.
B. The wavelength will get shorter so as the frequency.
C. The time slows down when compared to time on Earth.
D. The gravitational force is too weak for the light to pass through.
10.According also to the theory of general relativity, which of the following BEST
explains the sudden curve of light that travels in straight path?
A. Something blocks on its ways

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 B. A strong gravitational force exerted
C. When coming from a moving object
D. The source of light is coming from a stationary object

POSTULATES OF GENERAL
RELATIVITY

Jumpstart

Activity: Ant Analogy!

Direction: Read and understand the given situation, then answer the following
questions below. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Imagine yourself as the superhero in a movie entitled “Ant-Man”. You walk in

a straight rubber sheet, simulating a space with no mass in it. Walk on one side of
the sheet in a beautiful straight line over to the other side. Then, put a big stone in
the middle of a rubber sheet and walk again (see figure 1 for reference).

Stone’s weight

Figure 1. The Ant’s Path in a Rubber Sheet

Questions:
1. What happened to the rubber sheet upon putting a big stone in the middle?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Based on the two paths you have traveled, which path takes longer? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 3. “Einstein concluded that we live in a curved spacetime” explain this conclusion
based on the ant analogy.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Rubric for Scoring the Output
Points Requirements
Provides an insightful and detailed explanation/opinion that
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includes or extends ideas from the text.
Provides some explanation/opinion that includes ideas from the
4
text for support.
Uses text incorrectly or with limited success that includes an
3
inconsistent or confusing explanation.
Demonstrates minimal understanding of the task and provides a
2
vague reference or no use of the text for support.
Demonstrates no understanding of the task and provides an
1
unclear reference or no use of the text for support.

Discover

Consequences of General Relativity

General Theory of Relativity is a theory of space and time. It was formulated

by Albert Einstein in 1915 when he found out that mass causes space to curve and
space causes the mass to move. In space, massive objects like stars, planets, and
black holes possess a gravitational field which will create curvature in space-time.
That curvature will control how the objects in that space-time move. This theory
applies to those that have a very large mass. Some phenomena could support that
there is warping happening in space-time due to the gravity exerted by a massive
object.

What Einstein proposed was nothing less than a major revolution in our
understanding of space and time. It was a new theory of gravity, in which mass
determines the curvature of spacetime and that curvature, in turn, controls how
objects move. Like all new ideas in science, no matter who advances them,
Einstein’s theory had to be tested by comparing its predictions against the
experimental evidence. This was quite a challenge because the effects of the new
theory were apparent only when the mass was quite large. (For smaller masses, it
required measuring techniques that would not become available until decades
later.)

When the distorting mass is small, the predictions of general relativity must
agree with those resulting from Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which, after
all, has served us admirably in our technology and in guiding space probes to the
other planets. In familiar territory, therefore, the differences between the

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predictions of the two models are subtle and difficult to detect. Nevertheless,
Einstein was able to demonstrate proof of his theory that could be found in existing
data and to suggest another one that would be tested just a few years later.
The Motion of Mercury

Figure 2. Mercury’s Wobble in Space

The major axis of the orbit of a planet, such as Mercury, rotates in space
slightly because of various perturbations. In Mercury’s case, the amount of rotation
(or orbital precession) is a bit larger than can be accounted for by the gravitational
forces exerted by other planets; this difference is precisely explained by the general
theory of relativity. Mercury, being the planet closest to the Sun, has its orbit most
affected by the warping of spacetime near the Sun. The change from orbit to orbit
has been significantly exaggerated on this diagram (Figure 2).

Of the planets in our solar system, Mercury orbits closest to the Sun and is
thus the most affected by the distortion of spacetime produced by the Sun’s mass.
Einstein wondered if the distortion might produce a noticeable difference in the
motion of Mercury that was not predicted by Newton’s law. It turned out that the
difference was subtle, but it was there. Most importantly, it had already been
measured.

Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit so that it is only about two-thirds as far
from the Sun at perihelion as it is at aphelion. The gravitational effects
(perturbations) of the other planets on Mercury produce a calculable advance of
Mercury’s perihelion. What this means is that each successive perihelion occurs in
a slightly different direction, as seen from the Sun (Figure 2).

According to Newtonian gravitation, the gravitational forces exerted by the

planets will cause Mercury’s perihelion to advance by about 531 seconds of arc
(arcsec) per century. In the nineteenth century, however, it was observed that the
actual advance is 574 arcsec per century. The discrepancy was first pointed out in
1859 by Urbain Le Verrier, the co-discoverer of Neptune. Just as discrepancies in

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the motion of Uranus allowed astronomers to discover the presence of Neptune, so
it was thought that the discrepancy in the motion of Mercury could mean the
presence of an undiscovered inner planet. Astronomers searched for this planet
near the Sun, even giving it the name Vulcan, after the Roman god of fire. (The
name would later be used for the home planet of a famous character on a popular
television show about future space travel.)

But no planet has ever been found nearer to the Sun than Mercury, and the
discrepancy was still bothering astronomers when Einstein was doing his
calculations. General relativity, however, predicts that due to the curvature of
spacetime around the Sun, the perihelion of Mercury should advance slightly more
than is predicted by Newtonian gravity. The result is to make the major axis of
Mercury’s orbit rotate slowly in space because of the Sun’s gravity alone. The
prediction of general relativity is that the direction of perihelion should change by
an additional 43 arcsec per century. This is remarkably close to the observed
discrepancy, and it gave Einstein a lot of confidence as he advanced his theory. The
relativistic advance of perihelion was later also observed in the orbits of several
asteroids that come close to the Sun.

Deflection of Starlight

Einstein’s second test was something that had not been observed before and
provided an excellent confirmation of his theory. Since spacetime is more curved in
regions where the gravitational field is strong, we would expect light passing very
near the Sun to appear to follow a curved path (Figure 3), just like that of the ant in
our analogy. Einstein calculated from general relativity theory that starlight just
grazing the Sun’s surface should be deflected by an angle of 1.75 arcsec. Could
such a deflection be observed?

Figure 3. Curvature of Light Paths near the Sun

Starlight passing near the Sun is deflected slightly by the “warping” of

spacetime. (This deflection of starlight is one small example of a phenomenon called
gravitational lensing.) Before passing by the Sun, the light from the star was
traveling parallel to the bottom edge of the figure. When it passed near the Sun, the
path was altered slightly. When we see the light, we assume the light beam has
been traveling in a straight path throughout its journey. And so, we measure the

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position of the star to be slightly different from its true position. If you were to
observe the star at another time, you would measure its true position when the Sun
is not in the way.

During a total solar eclipse, much of the Sun’s light is blocked out, allowing
the stars near the Sun to be photographed. In a paper published during World War
I, Einstein suggested that photographic observations during an eclipse could reveal
the deflection of light passing near the Sun.

Black Hole

Figure 4. Black Hole in Space

The most fundamental prediction of general relativity is the existence of

black holes. A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even
light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into
a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying. Because no light can get out,
people can't see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools
can help find black holes. These special tools can see how stars very close to black
holes act differently than other stars.

Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are
as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a
large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object. Another kind
of black hole is called "stellar." Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass
of the sun. There may be many, many stellar-mass black holes in Earth's galaxy.
Earth's galaxy is called the Milky Way. The largest black holes are called
"supermassive." These black holes have masses that are more than 1 million suns
together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a
supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of
the Milky Way galaxy is called Sagittarius A. It has a mass equal to about 4 million
suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.

A black hole cannot be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into
the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects
the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if

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they are flying around, or orbiting, a black hole. When a black hole and a star are
close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with
human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see high-energy
light.

Explore

Enrichment Activity 1: Modified True or False. Read each statement carefully.

Write True if the statement is correct; if the statement is False, change the italicized
word/s into correct term/s and write it on the blank before each item. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. A black hole sucks everything near to it.

2. A gravitational wave can also be observed on Earth.
3. Time slows down in an area where the gravitational field is strong.
4. One of the consequences of the General Theory of Relativity is the orbit of
Venus.
5. The black holes have masses that are more than 2 million suns together.
6. The General Theory of Relativity explains the effect of gravity in space-time.
7. Starlight passing near the moon is deflected slightly by the
“warping” of spacetime.
8. Isaac Newton’s idea about the Theory of Relativity paved the way for modern
Physics.
9. Albert Einstein’s idea about relativity is that everything moves relative to
everything else.
10. The disturbance in space-time brought by a rapid acceleration of a massive
object is called a gravitational wave.

Enrichment Activity 2: Concept Mapping. Complete the concept map below by

filling out the boxes with answers in relation to the concept at the center. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

What is it? Non -examples

General Theory of
Relativity

Examples Application

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 Deepen

Performance Task: General Theory of Relativity in our World!!

Direction: You may be asking why we need to study relativity. What is its
importance in our daily life? Or why do we have to be aware of this concept? For
this activity, you are going to cite five examples on how relativity is applied and
what is its use. An example is given for you. Your output will be graded based on
the rubrics below.

Example: GPS (Global Positioning System) – It is use in tracking location and

position.
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Rubric for the Given Example

CRITERIA Excellent Very Good Good Needs Did Not Meet

5 4 3 Improvement Expectations
2 1
Number of Write 4 or Write 3 Write 2 Write 1 No example is
Given more examples. examples. example. given.
Examples examples.
Relationship The The The The The
between the relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship
given between the between the between the between the between the
Examples given given given given given
examples is examples is examples is examples is examples
very clear. clear. moderately slightly clear. is not
clear. clear.

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Spelling, There are no There are 12 There are 34 There are 5-7 There are
Punctuation, errors in errors in errors in errors in more than 8
and spelling, spelling, spelling, spelling, errors in
Grammar punctuation, punctuation, punctuation punctuation, spelling,
or grammar. or grammar. , and and grammar. punctuation,
grammar. and grammar.

Gauge

Direction: Read carefully each item. Write only the letter of the best answer for
each test item. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.

1. What phenomenon can warp spacetime?

A. Gravitational field B. Magnetic field
C. Electromagnetic field D. Nuclear energy

2. Who wrote the theory of general relativity that was published 100 years
ago?
A. Max Plank B. Thomas Edison
C. Albert Einstein D. Richard Feynman

3. What natural phenomenon does general relativity explain?

A. Black holes B. Electricity C. Gravity D. Radiation

4. According to Newton, gravity was a force. How about Einstein?

A. Curvature B. Force
C. Constant velocity D. Mystery

5. Which of the following tools is/are used by scientists to see the high-energy
light in space?
A. Microscope B. Telescope
C. Satellite D. Both B and C

6. Which of the following is considered the largest black hole?

A. Giant Holes B. Small Holes C. Stellar D. Supermassive

7. Which of the following key component of general relativity that pertains to

the idea that the space and time are part of a single, four-dimensional
continuum?
A. Gravity B. Spacetime
C. Black holes D. The interstellar medium

8. What is gravitational lensing?

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 A. Light bending around a massive object
B. Slowing down of time around a black hole
C. Light bending as it goes from one medium to another
D. Light moving in a straight line around a massive object

9.According to general relativity, time operates differently in gravitational

fields.
What happens?
A. Time is the same B. Time stops
C. Time slows down D. Time speeds up

10. Which theory explains the geometric description of gravity as a curvature of

spacetime around massive bodies?
A. Photoelectric Theory B. Theory of Special Relativity
C. Law of Universal Gravitation D. Theory of General Relativity

11. When scientists are looking for black holes they look for large sources of
what type of light that is emitted from the area surrounding the black hole?
A. Gamma B. Infrared C. Visible ray D. X-ray

12. According to Einstein, why do objects accelerate around massive bodies?

A. A force is pulling them B. Space is pushing them
C. A gravity is pulling them D. A gravity pushing them

13. What would happen to Earth's orbit if the Sun collapsed into a black hole?
A. It would explode
B. It would get sucked into it
C. It would get flung out of its orbit
D. Nothing, Earth will orbit the sun as usual.

14. What do you mean by space-time? A. Space with existence of gravity

B. The time it takes for a light to travel in space
C. Three dimension of space with existence of gravity
D. Fused three dimensions of space and one dimension if time leading to
four dimensional

15. Why does the orbit of the planet Mercury shift? A. Its composition affects
its motion.
B. It is the first planet near to the sun.
C. It rotates faster on its axis so the orbit is affected.
D. It is too close to the sun that its strong gravitational field affects its
motion.

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Pretest:
1 .A 6 .C
2 .D 7 .C
3 .A 8 .D
4 .B 9 .C
5 .A 10 .B
Jumpstart: (Activity: Analogy)
Q1. The rubber sheet distorted or warped.
Q2. The longer path is distorted because it is stretch or bent down.
Q3. Life is not easy. We encounter ups and downs in our life just like the path
we’re traveling.
Explore: (Enrichment Activity 1: Modified True or False)
1 . Do not suck 6 . True
2 . True 7 . Sun
3 . True 8 . Albert Einstein
4 . Mercury 9 . True
5 . 1 Million 10 . True
Enrichment Activity 2: Concept Mapping
Student’s answer may vary.
Deepen: Student’s answer may vary.
Gauge:
1. A 6 .D 11 .D
2. C 7 .B 12 .C
3. C 8 .A 13 .D
4. A 9 .C 14 .D
5. D 10 .D 15 .D
Answer Key
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