I know that time passes differently in areas of different gravitational potential, but how? A general question really, any useful information would be good.
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Good thing its a "general" question as it's the general theory of relativity that answers it.
In the shell of a nut, time caught in the gravitation field of anything slows down relative to anything caught in a lesser gravity field. So, for example, the rate of events unfolding for a space ship near a black hole, but outside the event horizon, would be slower than the rate of comparable events back on Earth.
In theory, one could float around deep space near the black hole for n months according to the crew's calendar and find that N > n months had passed according to Earth's calendar when they got back to Earth. The crew would be N - n months into their own future when they landed. [See source.]
Time dilation due to gravity has been demonstrated in the lab. They synced two very precise atomic clocks and put one on the floor and the other up some distance above the floor. Over the course of several years, the clock closest to the floor and to the source of gravity, Earth, ran slower than the one just a few meters above it, but farther away from the source of gravity. So this is a proven effect.
In the shell of a nut, time caught in the gravitation field of anything slows down relative to anything caught in a lesser gravity field. So, for example, the rate of events unfolding for a space ship near a black hole, but outside the event horizon, would be slower than the rate of comparable events back on Earth.
In theory, one could float around deep space near the black hole for n months according to the crew's calendar and find that N > n months had passed according to Earth's calendar when they got back to Earth. The crew would be N - n months into their own future when they landed. [See source.]
Time dilation due to gravity has been demonstrated in the lab. They synced two very precise atomic clocks and put one on the floor and the other up some distance above the floor. Over the course of several years, the clock closest to the floor and to the source of gravity, Earth, ran slower than the one just a few meters above it, but farther away from the source of gravity. So this is a proven effect.
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I don't think time dilation is what you're saying, time dilation I think is based on the fact that: time passes at different rates when traveling at different speed. But maybe you're right.
I saw the Stephen hawking documentary about time and I think he said that this happens because bigger objects experience time at a slower rate than smaller objects. But to be honest I don't think he said exactly why, I think of it as a video game, when the games loads a big scenario or object it starts lagging, but when it loads a small object, it runs just fine.
I saw the Stephen hawking documentary about time and I think he said that this happens because bigger objects experience time at a slower rate than smaller objects. But to be honest I don't think he said exactly why, I think of it as a video game, when the games loads a big scenario or object it starts lagging, but when it loads a small object, it runs just fine.