What type of time dilation is caused by differences in gravitational potential?

The type of time dilation caused by differences in gravitational potential is gravitational time dilation. In general relativity, clocks at different positions in a gravitational field do not accumulate time at the same rate. A clock deeper in a gravitational well, closer to a massive body, runs more slowly relative to a clock farther away.

This effect is not merely a visual illusion or a mechanical defect in clocks. Atomic clocks at different altitudes genuinely record different elapsed times. The difference is tiny near Earth’s surface but becomes increasingly important near dense objects such as neutron stars and black holes. Light leaving a stronger gravitational field is also observed at a lower frequency, a related phenomenon called gravitational redshift.

Einstein first described the effect in 1907 while developing the ideas that led to general relativity. The Pound–Rebka experiment provided a direct Earth-based confirmation in 1959. Modern satellite navigation depends on the same principle: GPS satellite clocks are higher in Earth’s gravitational field and therefore tend to run faster than ground clocks.

Kinematic time dilation is different. It results from relative motion and belongs to special relativity. Lorentz time dilation and special-relativistic time dilation are not the best answers when the cause specified is gravitational potential.