12
Guided Learning Activity Kit
Quarter 2- Week 7
Physical Science – Grade 12
Guided Learning Activity Kit
General Theory of Relativity and Its Consequences
Quarter 2- Week 7
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Guided Learning Activity Kit Development Team
Writer: Marco David Solema
Editor: Euman F. Parong EdD
Reviewer: Euman F. Parong EdD
Layout Artist: John Paul C. Paje EdD
Management Team: Leonardo D. Zapanta EdD, CESO V
Michelle Ablian-Mejica EdD
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GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY
AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Introduction
The second part of Albert Einstein’s relativity theories is the
General Theory of Relativity, a major building block of modern physics. It
explicates gravity based on how space can “curve,” wherein it associates the
force of gravity with the changing geometry of space-time.
In this lesson, we will try to dig deeper the concepts of general theory
of relativity and space-time and to gain understanding on some of the
consequences of such theory of relativity.
Learning Competency
Explain the consequences of the postulates of General Relativity (e.g.,
correct predictions of shifts in the orbit of Mercury, gravitational bending of
light, and black holes). (S11/12PS-IVi-j-71)
Objectives
At the end of this Guided Learning Activity Kit, you are able to:
1. explain the General Theory of Relativity and the concept of space-time;
2. identify the different consequences of the postulates of General
Relativity; and
3. describe a black hole.
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Review
Directions: In your own words, describe and explain the Einstein’s postulates
that you have previously learned. Write your answers in your answer sheets.
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Discussion
The General Theory of Relativity
Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity is one of the biggest
achievements in Physics in the 20th century. Published in 1916, it tries to
explain almost all laws of the physical universe in a single framework.
One of the key concepts in the general theory of relativity is that
gravitation is a warping of space and time. Imagine the space is a flat net
made of rubber. If a big stone is put at the center of the “net,” it creates a
depression. In any place near the the stone is located, the rubber bands
strech from their flat surfaces; while, farther away the surface of the bands,
its flat shape retains.
Just as the stone distorts the rubber band, so does matter distort or
warp space and time. This distortion is called gravitation.
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If two large stones are placed close to each other on the rubber-band
net, they will tend to move toward each other. The same is true with two large
objects in space; if they are close to each other, they will tend to move toward
each other. Can space-time warps be proven by experimentation and
observation? Most scientists today would say “Yes.”
Does this mean that Einstein was right and Newton was wrong? No. It
is just that Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is more embracing than Newton’s
laws of motion and gravitation. Anyway, physical theories are just
approximations of nature. None of them seems to be perfect. However, they
offer explanations to the many questions that we have in mind.
Space-Time
In Einstein’s general theory of relativity, space and time are parts of one
continuum called space-time.
According to Einstein, the basic elements of space-time are events. In
any given space-time, an event is a unique position at a unique time. One
example of an event on a universal scale is a comet crashing into another
celestial body. Einstein also stated that objects with large masses can warp
time by speeding it up or slowing it down.
Credit: NASA
Figure 1 Gravity as the warping of space-time
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The general theory of relativity originated from the need to expand the
new space and time concepts of the special theory of relativity from the
domain of electric and magnetic phenomena to all of physics and, especially,
to the theory of gravitation.
Einstein set out to develop a theory of gravitation that would be
consistent with relativity. Relativity explains where gravity comes from. In his
10 years working on his theory, Einstein found out that massive objects cause
a distortion in space-time, which is felt as gravity.
Mass distorts space-time, causing it to curve. Gravity in general
relativity is described in terms of curved space-time. Furthermore, gravity
comes from matter, so the presence of matter causes distortions or warps in
space-time. Matter tells space-time how to curve, and space-time tells matter
how to move (orbits).
On the other hand, Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicted that
the space-time around Earth would not be only warped but also twisted by
the planet’s rotation. Gravity Probe B showed this to be correct.
Although instruments can neither see nor measure space-time, several
of the phenomena predicted by its warping have been confirmed.
Some Consequences of General Relativity
The consequences of general relativity are as follows:
1. Frame- dragging of space- time around rotating bodies: The spin of a
massive object should twist and distort the space-time around it. The
launching of NASA’s Gravity Probe B (GP-B) in 2004 precisely calibrated
satellite which caused the axes of gyroscopes inside to drift very slightly over
time – a result that coincided with Einstein’s theory.
2. Changes in the orbit of Mercury: Orbits process in a way unexpected in
Newton’s theory of gravity. This has been observed in the orbit of Mercury,
which is shifting very gradually over time, due to the curvature of space-time
around the massive sun. It is projected that a few billion years, it could even
collide with Earth.
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3. Gravitational lensing: Gravity bends light. In observing a distant galaxy,
the gravity of matter between earth and the galaxy causes light rays to be
bent into different paths. When the light reaches the telescope, multiple
images of the same galaxy appear.
Light around a massive object, such as a black hole, is bent, causing it
to act as a lens for the things that lie behind it. Astronomers routinely use
this method to study stars and galaxies behind massive objects.
An excellent example of gravitational lensing is the Einstein’s Cross, a
quasar in the Pegasus constellation. The quasar is around 8 billion light years
from the Earth and sits behind a galaxy that is 400 million light years away.
Four images of the quasar appear around the galaxy because the intense
gravity of the galaxy bends the light coming from the quasar.
Gravitational lensing allows the scientists to see some cool things, but
recently, what they spotted around the lens has remained static. However,
since the light traveling around the lens takes a different path, each traveling
over a different amount of time, scientists were able to observe a supernova
which occur four different times as it was magnified by a massive galaxy.
4. Gravitational red shift: The object’s electromagnetic radiation is somewhat
stretched out inside a gravitational field. Imagine the sound waves originated
from siren on an emergency vehicle; as the vehicle moves toward an observer,
sound waves are compressed, but as it moves away, they are stretched out,
or red shifted. Known as the Doppler Effect, the same phenomena have
occurred with waves of light at all frequencies. In 1959, Robert Pound and
Glen Rebka, shot gamma-rays of radioactive iron up the side of a tower at
Harvard University and they found out the gamma rays to be minutely less
than their natural frequency due to gravitational distortions.
5. Gravitational waves: Violent events, such as the collision of two black holes,
are thought to have created ripples in space-time called gravitational waves.
In 2016, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)
revealed that it found evidence of these divulging indicators.
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Black Holes
A black hole is a region of
space-time which exhibits strong
gravitational effects that nothing
(not even particles and
electromagnetic radiation such as
light) can escape from inside it.
The general theory of relativity
states that a sufficiently compact
mass can deform space-time to
create a black hole.
A black hole is a region in Credit: https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/black-
space where there are greater hole-drags-space-time
Figure 2 Blackhole dragging space-time
gravitational pulls that even light
cannot escape. The gravity is so strong matter has been squeezed into a
smaller space. This can happen where a star is dying. Because no light can
get out, people cannot see black holes (NASA).
Many black holes exist in binary star systems. These may endlessly pull
mass from the neighboring star, becoming bigger, and causing the other star
to shrink, and all the other companion stars to vanish.
Enormously large black holes may also occur at the center of some
galaxies including the Milky Way. These immense features may have the mass
of about 10 to 100 billion suns. Larger black holes are like smaller ones, but
they grow however to enormous size because of the presence of much matter
in the center of the galaxy being added. Black holes can accumulate limitless
amounts of matter and become even denser because of their increasing
masses.
On the other hand, matter does not basically pull on the matter across
empty space, as what Isaac Newton had imagined. Instead, matter causes to
distort space-time and such distorted space-time also affects other matter.
For instance, objects like the planets, fly freely under the influence of their
own inertia through warped space-time, following curved paths since this is
the shortest possible path (geodesic) in warped space-time.
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Activities
Guided Practice 1
Word Search
Directions: Find each word inside the box in the puzzle below. Then,
write something about these terms in your own words. Answer it on your
answer sheets.
TIME SPACE EINSTEIN MASS
LIGHT GRAVITY NEWTON RELATIVITY
BLACKHOLE SPEED
Guided Practice 2
Directions: Fill in each blank with a correct term to complete the statement.
Choose your answer from the box. Write your answers your answer sheets.
1. One of the key concepts in the general theory of relativity is that
______________ is a warping of space and time.
2. In observing a distant galaxy, the gravity of matter between earth and
the galaxy causes ______________ to be bent into different paths.
3. According to Einstein, the basic elements of space-time are
____________.
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4. An excellent example of gravitational lensing is the ______________, a
quasar in the Pegasus constellation.
5. The spin of a massive object should twist and distort the
_______________ around it.
6. The general theory of relativity states that a sufficiently compact mass
can deform space-time to create a ______________.
7. A black hole is a region in space where there are greater gravitational
pulls that even ______________ cannot escape.
8. Violent events, such as the collision of two black holes, are thought to
have created ripples in space-time called _______________.
9. Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicted that the space-time
around Earth would not be only warped but also twisted by the
_______________.
10. Matter does not basically pull on the matter across _______________.
light light rays Einstein’s Cross
events space-time gravitational waves
empty space black hole planet’s rotation
gravitation
Independent Practice
Directions: Answer the following questions based on your understanding of
the lesson. Write your answers on your answer sheets.
1. Can space-time warps be proven by experimentation and observation?
Discuss.
2. Explain how mass of an object distorts space-time.
3. When we look at the pictures of distant objects in the universe, the images
of the objects are often distorted by gravitational lensing. Explain why (or
why not) it happens that way.
4. How is a black hole related to the concept of space-time
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Assessment
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answers on
your answer sheets.
1. Which is one of the key concepts in the general theory of relativity?
a. Simultaneity is relative.
b. Mass fixes time and space.
c. Gravitation is a warping of space and time.
d. Mass and energy are different manifestations of the same thing.
2. According to the general theory of relativity, a black hole is created from
______________.
a. a sufficiently compact mass deforming space-time
b. the cold remnants of former stars
c. the collision of two massive objects
d. the combination of light from different stars
3. What is space-time?
a. Time that we measure when traveling in space.
b. It is a way of viewing books at different angles.
c. The inseparable combination of space and time.
d. It is a graph of four axes.
4. In the text is a photograph that appears to show four identical galaxies
arranged as across. What are we really seeing?
a. Four galaxies that are nearly identical because they were born at
about the same time.
b. Four images of a single background galaxy, created by the
gravitational lens of a massive foreground galaxy or cluster.
c. Large galaxy with four central masses that glow brightly.
d. A picture taken with a poorly made telescope, so that a single large
object appears as four fuzzy dots.
5. Which of the following can create gravitational waves?
a. changing orbit of Mercury
b. spinning of a massive object
c. traveling of light in space
d. collision of two black holes
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6. __________________ is a region of space-time which exhibits strong
gravitational effects that nothing can escape from inside it.
a. gravity b. vacuum c. Earth’s orbit d. black hole
7. The following are TRUE about space-time, EXCEPT:
a. It can be distorted by mass, causing it to curve.
b. It can be seen and measured using special instruments.
c. Any given space-time, an event is a unique position at a unique time.
d. It is not only warped around the Earth, but also twisted by the
planet’s rotation.
8. A quasar in the Pegasus constellation is called ______________.
a. Newton’s Crux c. Einstein’s Cross
b. Cassiopeia d. North Star
9. The following are the consequences of general theory of relativity, EXCEPT:
a. gravitational lensing c. gravitational red shift
b. Changes in the orbit of Mercury d. mass-energy equivalence
10. Ripples in space-time are called _________________.
a. gravitational waves c. gravitational red shift
b. gravitational lensing d. Doppler Effect
Reflection
Directions: Make a reflective essay on how you can apply Einstein’s
general theory of relativity in real life situations. Use a separate sheet of paper
for your essay.
CRITERIA 4 3 2 1
Content and The information The information Some information The information
Organization contained are contained are contained are contained are
all relevant. The mostly relevant. irrelevant. The irrelevant. The
flow of ideas is The flow of flow of ideas is presentation of
excellently ideas is logical. understandable. ideas is vague.
organized.
Purpose The student’s The student’s The student’s The student’s
purpose is clear purpose is clear, purpose is clear, purpose is not
and convincing. and somewhat and slightly clear.
The student’s convincing. The convincing. The
extensive student’s student’s
knowledge knowledge knowledge about
about the topic about the topic the topic is
is evident. is evident. limited.
Grammar and All sentences All sentences Most of the Sentences are
Structure are well- are well- sentences are poorly
structured. structured, but well-structured, constructed.
There are no there are some and there is a lot
grammatical grammatical of grammatical
errors in the errors in the errors in the work
work output. work output. output.
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References
Moncada, Maria Noemi, Roly Bayo-Ang, Maria Lourdes Coronacion,
Annamae Jorda, and Anna Jamille Restubog. Physical
Science for Senior High School. Reprint, Quezon City,
Philippines: Educational Resources Corporation, 2016.
Harrington :, J., Sonja Alexander : H Q, , Heather R. Smith : NASA
Educational Technology Services, Hashima Hasan : HQ, Lynn
Cominsky : Poc, Logan Hill : Poc, Flint Wild : H Q, Jeff Ehmen :
Msfc, and Kevin Mclin : Poc. 2015. “What Is a Black Hole?”
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-
4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-black-hole-k4.html.
Agencies. 2019. “Black Hole Drags Space Time.” Freepressjournal.In.
Free Press Journal. May 1, 2019.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/black-hole-drags-
space-time.
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Assessment:
Guided Practice 1:
1. c
2. a
3. c
4. b
5. d
6. d
7. b
8. c
9. d
10.a
Guided Practice 2:
1. gravitation
2. light rays
3. events
4. Einstein’s Cross
5. space-time
6. black hole
7. light
8. gravitational waves
9. planet’s rotation
10. empty space
Key to Corrections
Acknowledgment
The Schools Division of Zambales would like to express its heartfelt
gratitude to the following, who in one way or the other, have contributed to
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resources with most essential learning competencies (MELCs)-based activities
anchored on the principles of guided learning and explicit instruction:
First, the Learning Resources (LR) Development Team composed of the
writers and graphic artists for devoting much of their time and exhausting
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implementation of learning delivery modalities.
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Third, the Provincial Government of Zambales, for unceasingly
extending its financial assistance to augment the funds for the printing of
these learning resources for use by learners and parents at home;
Fourth, the teacher-advisers and subject teachers, in close
coordination with the school heads, for their weekly distribution and retrieval
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Finally, the parents and other home learning facilitators for giving the
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The Management Team
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