Prelims 2018 · Science and Technology · Question 62
Consider the following statements:<br/>1. Light is affected by gravity.<br/>2. The Universe is constantly expanding.<br/>3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.<br/><br/>Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?
Answer
1, 2 and 3
1. Light is affected by gravity — Correct. General Relativity predicts that gravity bends the path of light; this is seen in gravitational lensing and was famously confirmed during the 1919 solar eclipse.
2. The Universe is constantly expanding — Correct. Einstein’s field equations of General Relativity allow dynamic universe models, and modern cosmology’s expanding universe follows from GR-based solutions such as the Friedmann equations.
3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time — Correct. This is the core idea of General Relativity: mass-energy curves space-time, and that curvature is experienced as gravity.
Therefore, all three statements are predictions/consequences of General Relativity. Hence, the correct answer is (d) 1, 2 and 3.