I wonder why massive objects slow down time

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on Gravitational Time Dilation, clarifying that massive objects like stars and black holes do not slow down time in the conventional sense. Instead, the phenomenon is explained through the concept of differential aging, where clocks and individuals can take different paths through spacetime, resulting in varying amounts of aging when they reunite. General Relativity, which replaces Newton's gravitational theory with the concept of curved spacetime, underpins this understanding, as articulated through Einstein's Field Equations.

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Why does massive objects like stars and black holes slows time
 
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:welcome:

Are you asking for an explanation for Gravitational Time Dilation?
 
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HG009 said:
Why does massive objects like stars and black holes slows time
It doesn't. You are confusing differential aging with time dilation.

Clocks do not tick at a different rate (and no person ages differently) based on where they are. What DOES happen is that clocks (and people) can take different paths through space-time so that if they separate and then meet up again they can have aged by different amounts.

Exactly the same as two cars can each go from point A out into the world and then come back again, both always going 60 miles per hour, but having gone by different path, have a different number of miles on their odometers.
 
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PeroK said:
:welcome:

Are you asking for an explanation for Gravitational Time Dilation?
Yes
 
phinds said:
It doesn't. You are confusing differential aging with time dilation.

Clocks do not tick at a different rate (and no person ages differently) based on where they are. What DOES happen is that clocks (and people) can take different paths through space-time so that if they separate and then meet up again they can have aged by different amounts.

Exactly the same as two cars can each go from point A out into the world and then come back again, both always going 60 miles per hour, but having gone by different path, have a different number of miles on their odometers.
Thanks! Actually I'm new here so I just posted a sample question :)
 
HG009 said:
Thanks! Actually I'm new here so I just posted a sample question :)
At least a few of us are too old for that.
 
HG009 said:
Yes
General Relativity replaces Newton's theory of gravity with curved spacetime instead of a gravitational force. Curved spacetime follows directly from Einstein's Field Equations, which are the laws that replace Newton's law of gravity.

Your question is the same as asking why massive bodies exert a gravitational force on each other? That is a law of physics from which all else follows.
 
sysprog said:
At least a few of us are too old for that
PeroK said:
General Relativity replaces Newton's theory of gravity with curved spacetime instead of a gravitational force. Curved spacetime follows directly from Einstein's Field Equations, which are the laws that replace Newton's law of gravity.

Your question is the same as asking why massive bodies exert a gravitational force on each other? That is a law of physics from which all else follows.
Thanks!
 

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