Space Time and Gravitation

by Arthur Stanley Eddington

SPACE⁠TIME

AND

GRAVITATION

An Outline of the General
Relativity Theory

by

A. S. Eddington, M.A., M.Sc., F.R.S.

Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental
Philosophy, Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
1920

Cambridge University Press

C. F. Clay, Manager

London : Fetter Lane, E.C. 4

New York : The Macmillan Co.

Bombay Calcutta Macmillan And Co., Ltd. Madras

Toronto : The Macmillan Co. Of Canada, Ltd.

Tokyo : Maruzen-Kabushiki-Kaisha

All Rights Reserved

ECLIPSE INSTRUMENTS AT SOBRAL

Contents

1. Eclipse Instruments at Sobral ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   Frontispiece

2. Prologue

   PAGE

3. What is Geometry? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   1

4.  

   Chapter I

5. The FitzGerald Contraction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   17

6. Chapter II

7. Relativity ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   30

8. Chapter III

9. The World of Four Dimensions ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   45

10. Chapter IV

11. Fields of Force ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    63

12. Chapter V

13. Kinds of Space ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    77

14. Chapter VI

15. The New Law of Gravitation and the Old Law ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    93

16. Chapter VII

17. Weighing Light ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    110

18. Chapter VIII

19. Other Tests of the Theory ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    123

20. Chapter IX

21. Momentum and Energy ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    136

22. Chapter X

23. Towards Infinity ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    152

24. Chapter XI

25. Electricity and Gravitation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    167

26. Chapter XII

27. On the Nature of Things ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    180

28. Appendix

29. Mathematical Notes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    202

30. Historical Note ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    210