Undergrad Gravitational Effects on Age of Earth's Core

[Freonpsandoz]

The Wikipedia page on gravitational time dilation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_time_dilation) states:

"Relative to Earth's age in billions of years, Earth's core is effectively 2.5 years younger than its surface."

A clock subjected to less acceleration (gravitational or otherwise) runs faster, doesn't it? Isn't gravitational acceleration zero at the center of the earth? Shouldn't that make the center of the Earth older?

 

[A.T.]

A clock subjected to less acceleration (gravitational or otherwise) runs faster, doesn't it?

No. Gravitational time dilation depends on the gravitational potential, not on acceleration.

 

[phinds]

A clock subjected to less acceleration (gravitational or otherwise) runs faster, doesn't it? Isn't gravitational acceleration zero at the center of the earth? Shouldn't that make the center of the Earth older?

Your confusion is a common one:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/flat-spacetime-in-a-gravity-well.943566/#post-5970060

EDIT: by the way, this points to something you should think about. Very often it's sufficient to get an answer to such questions by just doing a forum search. You may at some point ask a question that has not been asked here before but if it's a question about basic science, that is VERY unlikely.

 

[Freonpsandoz]

Your confusion is a common one:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/flat-spacetime-in-a-gravity-well.943566/#post-5970060

EDIT: by the way, this points to something you should think about. Very often it's sufficient to get an answer to such questions by just doing a forum search. You may at some point ask a question that has not been asked here before but if it's a question about basic science, that is VERY unlikely.

Sorry. Won't bother you guys again.

 

[russ_watters]

Sorry. Won't bother you guys again.

That's an odd way to say thank you...