Albert Einstein developed the theory of general relativity in 1915. It is a gravitational theory that primarily involves a particle’s acceleration with respect to or relative to another. It describes the relationship of space, time, and matter. It is also a modified and improved alteration of Newton’s Law of Gravity. 

Newton’s Law of Gravity, which states that the force experienced between two masses is directly proportional with the gravitational constant, is time independent and this just means that for any instant the force caused by gravity is the same for all distances. This makes Newton’s Law of Gravity flawed because it contradicts a fundamental principle in mechanics and Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. Mechanics states that an object cannot accelerate on its own without any force acting on it. Einstein’s theory of special relativity states that no signal travels faster than the speed of light.

 

Einstein's theory of general relativity implies that matter distorts the space versus time continuum or what is commonly referred to as space-time. That is, the presence of matter with its energy and momentum causes the curvature of space-time. And this is because gravity makes the object that it acts upon to move in a path that it does not naturally follow. This is what Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity basically is all about. 

 

There are even what are called as Einsteinian field equations which refer to the equations that Einstein formulated and these equations relate the space-time curvature to the matter’s mass, energy, and momentum that are associated with it. The theory of general relativity predicts a number of things, and some of these have already been proven and tested through long-time research that they are already referred to as its physical consequences.

The gravitational time dilation is one of the consequences of the theory of general relativity. Gravitational time dilation refers to time running more slowly when it is closer to a massive body or when it is in an area of higher gravitational field. That is, time goes faster when it is farther away from a massive body.

 

Light bending or light deflection is also one of its consequences. The theory of general relativity predicts that light passing through a massive object is being deflected or bent towards that body. This explains the bending of light around the sun.

Another consequence is the orbital precess. That is, the orbiting body will rotate in its orbit in such a way that its orbit points precess into an ellipse because the orbit points are being attracted to the center of mass of the system. 

 

Einstein’s theory of general relativity indeed explains a lot of things and helps scientists predict a great deal of things. Through the theory of general relativity, black holes can be predicted and light deflection especially those made by the sun had helped scientists and astronomers discover and analyze new things. 

A solar eclipse in 1919 was one of the recognized confirmations of the accuracy of this theory when the light that was passing through the sun was being deflected as it was on its way to the earth. It even gave Einstein the Nobel Prize in 1921 because his theory of general relativity has been one of the most confirmed theories in the world of physics.