How Does Stephen Hawking's Theory Connect Time and Mass?

[ashishsinghal]

In Stephen Hawkins videos he told that time was affected by mass. Why would that be? Can anyone tell?

 

[zhermes]

Mass causes distortions to space-time, that's what we experience / refer-to as 'gravity.' For example, for an outside observer, time is greater slowed down near the event horizon of a black-hole.
In a less extreme case, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is able to detect the effects of Earth's gravity---slowing down the rate of time near the surface of the earth.

 

[ashishsinghal]

Mass causes distortions to space-time, that's what we experience / refer-to as 'gravity.'

Here is the next question: Why on TIME?

 

[Dmitry67]

Not only on time: it affects space AND time.
Why are you asking "Why on TIME" but not asking "Why on space"?

 

[ashishsinghal]

because my doubt was related to time.
But if you wish I will rephrase my question:
Why on space and time?

 

[zhermes]

Why on TIME?

Why on space and time?

In general relativity, space-time is essentially one thing. Space-time is also the medium in which mass acts... I don't think anyone can answer your question of 'why,' I don't think there is an answer.

 

[ashishsinghal]

you mean it is a postulate.

 

[JesseM]

you mean it is a postulate.

It's also an empirical observation of a relationship between the mass/energy distribution in a region and proper time (time as measured by a clock) for a worldline in that region. No theory of physics can ever really tell you "why" a given equation correctly describes the relationship between different quantities, it's just the business of physicists to find what the most accurate equations describing these relationships are.