Eli5: How does gravity affect time, dumb it down for me as much as possible
In: 286
[Gravity wells](https://images.app.goo.gl/FYRGJyrMBvEYU6m68) can help to visualize what is happening.
This isn’t the science behind it and the math is very estimated, but just an attempt to bring some ELI5 level understanding.
Imagine each section on that image had a width of 1 unit and would take 1 day to cross. But to travel across those gravity wells you actually have to go down each well and up the other side. Let’s estimate the first image as 1 width, 1 unit down the well, 1 unit back up = 3 total units traveled. To an outside observer it would take you 3 days to cross. If the well depth was 2 it would look like it took you 5 days to cross (1 across, 2 down, 2 back up) but to the person crossing only 1 day would have elapsed in both cases.
Hopefully that helps understand what is happening. Why it works that way is complicated to say the least. I’m not sure I can ELI5 but if I come up with anything I’ll edit this.
Latest Answers