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

Imagine spacetime as a big elastic blanket. Celestial objects like stars & planets interact with spacetime much like how a bowling ball would react with our blanket. If you set a bowling ball on the elastic blanket, it will stretch the space around the ball thus stretching time as well.