What is curved spacetime?

In general relativity, spacetime is not ‘flat’ but is curved by the presence of massive bodies. This artistic representation visualises spacetime as a simplified, two-dimensional surface, which is being distorted by the presence of three massive bodies, represented as coloured spheres.

Is curved space real?

Curved spaces can generally be described by Riemannian geometry though some simple cases can be described in other ways. Curved spaces play an essential role in general relativity, where gravity is often visualized as curved space.

What bends space time?

gravity
Large objects such as the Sun and planets aren’t the only masses that warp the fabric of space-time. Anything with mass—including your body—bends this four-dimensional cosmic grid. The warp, in turn, creates the effect of gravity, redirecting the path of objects that travel into it.

How do you know if space is flat?

According to the best measurements astronomers have ever been able to make, the curvature of the universe falls within a range of error bars that indicates it’s flat. Future observations by some super Planck telescope could show a slight curvature, but for now, the best measurements out there say… flat.

What is a flat space?

In geometry, a flat or Euclidean subspace is a subset of a Euclidean space that is itself a Euclidean space (of lower dimension). The flats in two-dimensional space are points and lines, and the flats in three-dimensional space are points, lines, and planes.

What is the curvature of spacetime?

According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, massive objects warp the spacetime around them, and the effect a warp has on objects is what we call gravity. So, locally, spacetime is curved around every object with mass. Closed universe (top), open universe (middle), and flat universe (bottom).

Is space flat or curved?

Is space flat or curved? According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, massive objects warp the spacetime around them, and the effect a warp has on objects is what we call gravity. So, locally, spacetime is curved around every object with mass.

What is the spacetime interval in special relativity?

But special relativity provides a new invariant, called the spacetime interval, which combines distances in space and in time. All observers who measure the time and distance between any two events will end up computing the same spacetime interval.

What determines whether the universe is flat or open?

The density of matter and energy in the universe determines whether the universe is open, closed, or flat. If the density is equal to the critical density, then the universe has zero curvature; it is flat. You can imagine a flat universe like a sheet of paper that extends infinitely in all directions.