0

It only recently was specifically pointed out to me that Einstein was right, and Newton was wrong.

Newton wasn't wholly wrong. He theorized that gravity was a force that acted between bodies, and came up with an equation that fit observed experimental data:

$$ F = G*m1*m2/r^2$$

Where $G$ is an emperically determined constant.

Einstein did away with forces, and instead theorized that gravity is the consequence of bodies moving in a straight line through spacetime, where mass bends space.

And he provided his own formulas based on things like geometry and the speed of light.

Does that mean that Einstein's equations can simplify down to Newton's equation when you're far away from massive objects? Kind of like how terms the Lorentz transformation go to zero when you're not traveling near the speed of light?

And if so, does that mean we could come up with an algebraic expression for $G$?

And if not, why not?

Qmechanic
  • 220,844
Ian Boyd
  • 480
  • 4
  • 11

1 Answers1

2

Newton isn't wrong at all. It is as you write: Einstein's GR simplifies to Newton's law of gravity in the respective non-relativistic limit. But no, we still can't come up with an algebraic expression for $G$ because that constant also appears in Einstein's equations and simply carries through to the Newtonian limit.

rfl
  • 6,545