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Equation 52 · The Bend an Elevator Cannot Fake

What does this equation mean?

W(x):=Φgrav(x)−12∣Ω×r∣2W(\mathbf x) := \Phi_{\rm grav}(\mathbf x) - \tfrac12|\boldsymbol\Omega \times \mathbf r|^2

Read the formula alongside the article passage below. Each part has a deeper page with its role in the equation, the supporting passage and nearby citations.

Inputs and operationsPhi_rm grav(mathbf x) - tfrac12|boldsymbolOmega × mathbf r|^2
Result or conditionW(mathbf x) :
How to read the two sides of this formula. Follow the article passage for the meaning of each quantity.

This equation states an equality: the expressions on both sides have the same value under the article’s assumptions. Read the equation part by part below; each part has a contextual explanation and a link to its mathematical background.

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WW

Symbol W

the because.

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xx

Symbol x

x is an argument of the function-like quantity on the left; its role is set by that function’s stated inputs.

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Φgrav\Phi_{\rm grav}

Symbol Phi_rm grav

Phiri_rm grav is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.

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Ω\Omega

Symbol Omega

Omega is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.

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rr

Symbol r

r is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.

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=

=

The expressions on both sides represent the same quantity under the stated assumptions.

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multiplication

multiplication

Multiply the quantities on either side.

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subtraction

subtraction

Subtract the following term or group from the preceding one. A leading minus marks a negative quantity.

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subscript

subscript

The lower label selects a particular version, component, or indexed member of the quantity. For example, x₀ and xₜ can be values at different positions.

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superscript

superscript

A raised number can be a power. When it is a label or bound, it selects a case or the upper limit of a sum; the formula’s structure distinguishes these uses.

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How to interpret it

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What the article says around this equation

Real terrestrial clocks are not simply static; they corotate with Earth, and their genuinely single-valued potential is the geopotential W(x\mathbf x) := Φgrav(x)\Phi_{\rm grav}(\mathbf x) - 12\tfrac12|Ω\boldsymbol\Omega ×\times r\mathbf r|^2 , gravitational potential combined with the centrifugal term for Earth’s rotation rate Ω\boldsymbol\Omega . Because W is a smooth, single-valued function of position in the corotating frame for any fixed Ω\Omega , folding it into the node potential ϕ\phi := W/c2c^2 preserves exact loop closure for any network of clocks that are themselves at rest relative to the rotating Earth — precisely the convention already standard in relativistic geodesy [ 4 , 3 ] .

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