Is time dilation due to relative velocity equivalent in principle to time dilation due to relative gravitational strength?Is time dilation due to relative velocity and relative gravitational strength equivalent? That is, similar to Einstein's thought experiment where an observer in an enclosed capsule with no windows cannot tell the difference between acceleration due to gravity or due to some applied force, is there any observable difference between time dilation due to velocity versus that due to gravity?

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Is time dilation due to relative velocity equivalent in principle to time dilation due to relative gravitational strength?Is time dilation due to relative velocity and relative gravitational strength equivalent? That is, similar to Einstein&#039;s thought experiment where an observer in an enclosed capsule with no windows cannot tell the difference between acceleration due to gravity or due to some applied force, is there any observable difference between time dilation due to velocity versus that due to gravity?

recajossikpfmq · Accepted Answer

Not really. The dilation due to the relative velocity is reciprocal, which means, both will see each other&#039;s clocks go slower. This time dilation is explained because moving faster in space implies moving slower in time so total velocity through spacetime is constant.However, the gravitational dilation is not reciprocal, which means that the closest observer to the planet will be his clock going slower than the further observer and the further observer will see that his clock goes faster than the closer observer&#039;s clock, which is more logical. So, this dilation is caused by bending of space-time caused by the presence of the planet&#039;s mass.

Direkotogbkmn · Accepted Answer

The equivalence principle means that it is possible to have local coordinates, so that the spacetime can be regarded Minkowskian. Bob can that way estimate the time dilation of Alice, who passes by with a given velocity, using the Lorentz transformation.But in order to know the time dilation after some time, when Alice is not so close, he must know the global spacetime metric to do the calculation.One interesting case is if both have circular orbits with the same height, but opposing directions. For each meeting event it is valid what is written in the first paragraph. But nevertheless, due to the symmetry of the situation, their clocks will display the same time at that events. So, there are other points in the orbit where each one measures a time contraction. And between these extremes, points where there is no relative time dilation.

Is time dilation due to relative velocity equivalent in principle to time dilation due to relative g

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