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Originally Posted by Tensor
I'm gonna hold you to that.  |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Tensor
I have, what I think, is a really good example of this concerning Mercury's anomalous precession. While I realize that it is due to the non-linearity of the GR equations, expressed, in the math, as a second order effect of the power expansion series, I like to explain it as the difference between Newtonian Gravity (where mass creates gravity) and GR (where energy is the cause of gravity). One can point out that the energy of the Sun's gravitational field adds to the gravity caused by the Sun. This extra bit of energy causes the extra tug on Mercury, causing the precession. While this explanation is obviously not complete (for one, it ignores the elliptical component of Mercury's orbit), it illustrates some of the differences of the two theories and the non-linearity of the GR equations, for people who have no idea what a power expansion is.
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I'd agree that this is a good example. It makes sense to try to choose how you phrase something with your audience in mind, to try to get the main idea across without confusing them. Someone who has a few questions about relativity doesn't need the full-blown math of general relativity; that won't help them. Saying that time slows down more and more as you get closer to the speed of light, and that if you were going
at the speed of light time wouldn't pass at all, gets across the idea, even if it's not rigorous. And yes, RussT should not then mistake it for a rigorous statement and try to critique it as though it were.