How was Einstein's General Relativity theory proven?

Question

When was it, where was it and by whom?

Answer 1

First, I would never say that a theory has been proven. There may be a lot of evidence that supports a theory, and as a result it may no longer be on the list of theories that are being challenged, but theories are always theories and should always be open to adjustment by new evidence. A good theory is just a collection of hypothesis, experiments and deductions that survives repeated challenge and can therefore be used to predict untested outcomes.

Now to your question (sorry for the tangent)... I think that most physicists consider Arthur Eddington s observations of the bending of light during the 1919 solar eclipse as the first solid evidence to support Einstein s theory of General Relativity. Einstein s theory predicted that gravitational fields would bend light, and Eddington s measurements supported that prediction, thus making it the first empirical data to support the theory.

Answer 2

Bending Light

1919
Sir Arthur Eddington stationed himself on an island off the western coast of Africa and sent another group of British scientists to Brazil. Their measurements of several of the stars in the cluster showed that the light from these stars was indeed bent as it grazed the Sun, by the exact amount of Einstein's predictions. Einstein became a celebrity overnight when the results were announced.

The Einstein Cross

Four images of the quasar appear around the central glow formed by the nearby galaxy. The Einstein Cross is only visible from the southern hemisphere.

Earthbound Redshift

In 1960, Robert V. Pound and Glen A. Rebka demonstrated that a beam of very high energy gamma rays was ever so slightly redshifted as it climbed out of Earth's gravity and up an elevator shaft in the Jefferson Tower physics building at Harvard University. The redshift predicted by Einstein's Field Equations for the 74 ft. tall tower was but two parts in a thousand trillion. The gravitational redshift detected came within ten percent of the computed value. Quite a feat!

The Ultimate Test

There have been dozens of other tests of General Relativity. The scoresheet is pretty impressive. However, there is one prediction that has never been confirmed directly. Einstein's theory predicted that disturbances in spacetime should generate a different kind of radiation in the form of gravitational waves. Moreover, since black holes are by definition virtually "invisible," the only way to confirm they exist is to measure the gravitational wav es emitted as they form or interact with other massive objects.

Answer 3

The answers from BenLevon and YetiJ are correct, but there is one additional proof. When the GPS system was built, it had to accommodate the general theory of relativity. If it hadn't, the satellite measurements would have been off by several miles.

I don't remember the exact source for the GPS story (it was mentioned either in Scientific American or Discover). The reason it's necessary is that time passes more slowly in a region of higher gravity (Earth's surface) than it does in a region of lower gravity (Earth orbit). If the correction weren't made, the time signals from the GPS satellites would be out of synch and the distance calculations made from them would be incorrect. Believe it or not, the Pentagon almost decided NOT to account for this in the design of the satellites, and Congress almost didn't agree to pay for it (so much for American scientific education).

Answer 4

It was proven but only Generally.
Specifically the important phenomena of magnetism has been left out as well as the phenomena of temperature.
Magnetic field being much stronger than radial gravity field of spacetime. It was left out.
The basic experiment was bySir Eddington on bending of light.
The other one was a calculation he made on the precession of mercury's perehelium;However it had been done before without using relativity by Paul Gerber many years before Einstein.

No experiment or calculations were made On the relativity of magnetism with Gravity.

Since Galaxies and planets dont travel at relativistic speed on the practical usage of relativity the Newton formulas are more pratical.
However on the micro world where particle travel at relativistic speeds than General Realtivity can be more pratically used.

Answer 5

A very acurate clock was sent to outer space. The clock show a delate in time.

Answer 6

could Stevewbcanada provide some reverences on this? I'd be interested.

Answer 7

s.. i think its not proved.. its mathematically proved to b false..