Science
What is Spacetime?
Spacetime is the idea that space and time are woven into a single four-dimensional fabric, rather than being separate. Einstein showed that massive objects curve this fabric, and that curvature is what we experience as gravity.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains spacetime.
Key things to understand
- 1It unites the three dimensions of space with time into one structure.
- 2Einstein's relativity treats them as inseparable.
- 3Mass and energy curve spacetime.
- 4Objects follow that curvature — which we feel as gravity.
- 5It explains effects like time running slower near strong gravity.
Frequently asked questions
- What is spacetime?
- A combined four-dimensional fabric of space and time; in relativity they can't be treated separately, and mass bends this fabric.
- How is spacetime related to gravity?
- Mass and energy curve spacetime, and what we experience as gravity is objects following that curved geometry.
- Does time really slow down near gravity?
- Yes — clocks tick measurably slower in stronger gravity, a confirmed prediction of general relativity called time dilation.