equivalence principle

noun

, Physics.

1. (in relativity) the principle that, in any small region of space-time, the effects of a gravitational field are indistinguishable from those of an appropriate acceleration of the frame of reference.

equivalence principle

/ ĭ-kwĭv′ə-ləns /

1. A principle central to General Relativity stating that a gravitational field is locally indistinguishable from the effects of inertial forces. For example, according to the equivalence principle, it is impossible for someone in a box who experiences a force pushing him to the bottom of the box to know, from the force alone, whether that force is the result of a gravitational field (the box is standing on the surface of a planet) or an acceleration (the box is being pushed by a rocket).

Word History and Origins

Origin of equivalence principle¹

First recorded in 1915–20