- #1
dodo
- 697
- 2
Hello,
general relativity describes gravity not as a force (as opposed to the classical view), but as the effect of bodies following an inertial path on a distorted spacetime.
How does that explain the sea tides on Earth? The moon pulls the water without pulling the surrounding land by the same amount. I understand that the moon does pull the land (which is a nuisance for satellite ground measurements), but certainly we perceive a relative difference in heights between land and sea. How is that explained in terms of objects following a spacetime geodesic, when land and sea are, near their areas of contact (the shores), at such proximity?
Thanks!
general relativity describes gravity not as a force (as opposed to the classical view), but as the effect of bodies following an inertial path on a distorted spacetime.
How does that explain the sea tides on Earth? The moon pulls the water without pulling the surrounding land by the same amount. I understand that the moon does pull the land (which is a nuisance for satellite ground measurements), but certainly we perceive a relative difference in heights between land and sea. How is that explained in terms of objects following a spacetime geodesic, when land and sea are, near their areas of contact (the shores), at such proximity?
Thanks!