Explain how Einstein's theory of general relativity changed our understanding of gravity.

Einstein's theory describes gravity not as a force, but as the curvature of space-time caused by matter and energy.

Why is Newton's theory of gravity still used today, even though Einstein's theory of general relativity is considered more accurate?

Newton's theory is simpler to use and provides sufficiently accurate results for most applications involving small masses, speeds, and energies.

Gravity Mass and Distance

8th Grade•90 minutes•3) Construct an argument using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions in a large-scale system (e.g., galaxies and solar system) are attractive and depend on the masses of and distance between interacting objects.

Learning Objective

I can argue that gravity's pull depends on the mass and distance of objects in space.

Key Concepts

Galileo showed that gravitational acceleration is the same for all objects, which went against Aristotle's belief that heavier objects have higher gravitational acceleration.

Newton's theory enjoyed its greatest success when it was used to predict the existence of Neptune based on motions of Uranus.

According to general relativity, gravity is not a force but instead is caused by the curvature of space-time caused by matter.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.

View questions preview

1. According to the video, what two factors determine the strength of gravity's pull?

2. Which of the following statements best describes Newton's understanding of gravity?

3. How did Galileo's experiments contradict Aristotle's beliefs about gravity?

...and 9 more questions

Educational Video

The Mysterious Force of Gravity Explained by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Science Time

Learning Objective

Key Concepts

Practice Questions

Educational Video

Create Your Own Lesson