What is “space time” and how does it “bend”?

Question

I’ve heard the term “space time” thrown around, and that gravity “bends space-time” but how does that work?

In: 16

Answer 1

If we are playing baseball, and I hit a line drive at you, it will take a very flat path and get there quickly, right? But if I hit a high pop fly, it will take a big arc path and a long time to get to you.

The path we take through space and the path we take through time are related. If you want to track both at once, you call it space-time.

And just like the fly ball path seems “bent” compared to the line drive path, things in the universe can “bend” the path we take through space and time.