Time Dilation due to Gravity: Formula Explained

In summary, time dilation in the context of gravity refers to the ratio of time measured between two events by an observer in a strong gravitational field and an observer far away in an inertial frame. The formula for this ratio, assuming a spherically symmetric, non-rotating mass, is √(1-rs/r), where r is the distance from the center of the gravitational source and rs is the Swarzschild radius. As the observer in the strong gravitational field approaches the event horizon of a black hole, this ratio approaches 0. However, for this formula to be valid, both observers must be static and the observer in the inertial frame must be at infinity.
  • #1
Dynamotime
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If possible can someone tell me what is the formula of time dilation for an object

Which theoretically is Not in orbit, Not moving but close in off to an black hole to be affect by the gravity of it.

It will be greatly appreciated.
 
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  • #2
Time dilation in the context of gravity is usually used to refer to the ratio T1/T2 where
* T1 is the time between two spacetime events, E1 and E2, as measured by an observer O1 in a strong gravitational field; and
* T2 is the time between E1 and E2, as measured by an observer O2 that is far away and in an inertial reference frame.

A formula for this ratio, assuming the gravitational source is a spherically symmetric, non-rotating mass is

$$\sqrt{1-\frac{r_s}{r}}$$

where ##r## is the Swarzschild radial coordinate of O1 (which is analogous to the distance from the centre of the gravitational source) and ##r_s## is the Swarzschild radius of the source, which is the size to which the source would have to collapse to become a black hole. You can see from this formula that, as observer O1 approaches the event horizon of a black hole from the outside, the ratio heads towards 0.
 
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  • #3
andrewkirk said:
Time dilation in the context of gravity is usually used to refer to the ratio T1/T2 where
* T1 is the time between two spacetime events, E1 and E2, as measured by an observer O1 in a strong gravitational field; and
* T2 is the time between E1 and E2, as measured by an observer O2 that is far away and in an inertial reference frame.

A formula for this ratio, assuming the gravitational source is a spherically symmetric, non-rotating mass is

$$\sqrt{1-\frac{r_s}{r}}$$

where ##r## is the Swarzschild radial coordinate of O1 (which is analogous to the distance from the centre of the gravitational source) and ##r_s## is the Swarzschild radius of the source, which is the size to which the source would have to collapse to become a black hole. You can see from this formula that, as observer O1 approaches the event horizon of a black hole from the outside, the ratio heads towards 0.
Actually, for this formula to be valid, both observers must be static - hovering via rockets or resting on a surface. Further, for that form to be valid, O2 must be hovering at 'infinity', stationary with respect to the spherically symmetric source. It is true that at infinity, stationary = inertial, but the characteristic that holds for the generalization where O2 is not at infinity is stationary rather than inertial. Stationary has proper acceleration and is not inertial except at infinity.
 
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  • #4
Thank you so much for info
 

1. What is time dilation due to gravity?

Time dilation due to gravity is a phenomenon in which time passes at a different rate for objects in different gravitational fields. This means that time moves slower for objects in stronger gravitational fields, such as near a massive object like a planet or star.

2. What is the formula for time dilation due to gravity?

The formula for time dilation due to gravity is t' = t√(1 - (2GM/rc^2)), where t' is the time experienced by an object in a strong gravitational field, t is the time experienced by an object in a weak gravitational field, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the massive object, r is the distance between the two objects, and c is the speed of light.

3. How does time dilation due to gravity affect space travel?

Time dilation due to gravity has a significant impact on space travel, as it means that time passes at a different rate for astronauts in orbit around Earth compared to people on the planet's surface. This can cause issues with accurately measuring time and can also affect the aging process of astronauts.

4. Is time dilation due to gravity the same as time dilation due to velocity?

No, time dilation due to gravity and time dilation due to velocity are two different phenomena. Time dilation due to velocity, also known as time dilation in special relativity, refers to the slowing down of time for objects that are moving at high speeds relative to each other, while time dilation due to gravity is caused by differences in gravitational fields.

5. Can time dilation due to gravity be observed in everyday life?

Yes, time dilation due to gravity can be observed in everyday life. For example, GPS satellites have to take into account the effects of time dilation due to their position in Earth's gravitational field in order to provide accurate navigation information on the ground. Also, atomic clocks placed at different altitudes on Earth will show slight differences in time due to the varying gravitational fields.

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