Yes, gravity can cause relativistic effects like time dilation. According to Einstein's general theory of relativity, the presence of mass and energy curves the fabric of spacetime, creating what we perceive as gravity. This curvature of spacetime affects the passage of time near massive objects, leading to time dilation.
In the vicinity of a massive object, such as a planet, star, or black hole, the gravitational field is stronger. As a result, clocks closer to the massive object will run slower compared to clocks further away. This phenomenon is known as gravitational time dilation.
The gravitational time dilation has been experimentally confirmed through various observations and measurements. For example, atomic clocks placed at different altitudes or in different gravitational fields exhibit tiny differences in their rates, with clocks closer to massive objects running slower.
One notable example of gravitational time dilation is near a black hole. As an object approaches the event horizon of a black hole, where gravity is extremely strong, time dilation becomes significant. From an outside observer's perspective, time appears to slow down for an object falling into a black hole, and it effectively stops at the event horizon. This effect is a consequence of the extreme gravitational field near the black hole.
So, in summary, gravity does cause relativistic effects like time dilation, where the strength of the gravitational field affects the passage of time.