In 1915, Albert Einstein published the theory of General Relativity, which predicted that massive objects like the sun warp the fabric of space-time, causing light passing near them to bend. At the time of publication, this was a mathematical prediction without observational proof.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Einstein’s argument?
The observation that the orbit of Mercury precesses slightly more than can be explained by Newtonian physics alone.
Photographs taken during a solar eclipse showing that stars appear in slightly different positions than usual when their light passes near the sun.
Mathematical proof that light travels at a constant speed in a vacuum regardless of the observer's motion.
The discovery that time passes more slowly for an object moving at high speeds compared to an object at rest.
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. Einstein’s theory predicted that massive objects (the sun) would bend light. To support this, empirical observation is needed. Choice B describes the famous 1919 Eddington experiment, where stars were observed in shifted positions during an eclipse, proving that the sun’s gravity bent their light.
Choice A is incorrect because while the precession of Mercury is evidence for General Relativity, the specific claim mentioned in the text is about the bending of light, which Choice B addresses directly. Choice C is incorrect because this relates to Special Relativity and the speed of light, not the warping of space-time by gravity. Choice D is incorrect because this relates to time dilation, another prediction of relativity, but not the specific claim about light bending mentioned in the text.