MASS APPEAL

Illustration of an elephant sinking into a ripple in the background to represent its weight and effect on its environment.

Imagine that this page is actually a trampoline. Any object would sink into the surface. The more massive something is, the more it sinks in. This is why the elephant sinks into the page more than the ant!

Illustration of an ant sinking into a ripple in the background pattern to represent its weight and effect on its environment.

Now, say that the trampoline represents space and time , and the elephant represents the Sun . Just like the elephant "bends" the trampoline, the Sun's mass causes space and time to bend! Got it? Now you're thinking like Einstein !

Credits

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Image Credits:

Kid photos: courtesy of Denis Finnin, AMNH; It's All Relative: Jim Paillot; Rabbit, elephant, and ant: Francesco Santalacia; You Light Up My Life!: Cathy Sanchez Duvivier