Local reference frame

In theoretical physics, a local reference frame (local

frame) refers to a coordinate system or frame of reference that is only expected to function over a small region
or a restricted region of space or spacetime.
The term is most often used in the context of the application of local inertial frames to small regions of
a gravitational eld. Although gravitational tidal forces
will cause the background geometry to become noticeably non-Euclidean over larger regions, if we restrict ourselves to a suciently small region containing a cluster of
objects falling together in an eectively uniform gravitational eld, their physics can be described as the physics
of that cluster in a space free from explicit background
gravitational eects.

Einstein and general relativity

When constructing his general theory of relativity,

Einstein made the following observation: a freely falling
object in a gravitational eld will not be able to detect the
existence of the eld by making local measurements (a
falling man feels no gravity). Einstein was then able to
complete his general theory by arguing that the physics of
curved spacetime must reduce over small regions to the
physics of simple inertial mechanics (in this case special
relativity) for small freefalling regions.
Einstein referred to this as the happiest idea of my life.

See also
Equivalence principle
Inertial frame of reference
Local coordinates
Local spacetime structure
Local Lorentz covariance
Minkowski space
Normal coordinates

3 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

3.1

Text

Local reference frame Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local%20reference%20frame?oldid=556643197 Contributors: Wolfkeeper,

Anythingyouwant, Falcorian, Mpatel, ErkDemon, SmackBot, Erik9bot and Anonymous: 1

3.2

Images

File:Energia_template.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Energia_template.svg License: CC-BY-SA3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: user:Urutseg
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Contributors:
Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:
Tkgd2007

3.3

Content license

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