Newtonian Gravity and the equivalence principle

General Relativity (Fall, 2008)

Lecture Playlist

  1. Newtonian Gravity and the equivalence principle

  2. Tidal forces and curvature

  3. Essential tools: tensors and the metric

  4. Tensor mechanics

  5. Covariant differentiation and geodesics

  6. The flat space of special relativity

  7. The Riemannian curvature tensor

  8. Equations of motion in curved space

  9. Gravitation in the Newtonian approximation

  10. Energy-momentum tensor and Einstein's equations

  11. Accelerated coordinates

  12. World lines and Schwarzschild solution

September 22, 2008

This lecture starts with the tidal effects of Newtonian gravity.  Tidal effects are due to a nonuniform gravitational field. A person in the freely falling Einstein's elevator experiences weightlessness, and if the elevator is small enough, no tidal effects. The Equivalence Principle states: inertial mass and gravitational mass are equal.

Topics: 
  • Newtonian Gravity
  • Equivalence Principle
  • Gauss theorem
References