I have a similar question to one recently asked, but further questions regarding it?

Question

Einstein's theory of relativity was proved experimentally by showing that light from a distant star was distorted by the mass of the sun during an eclipse. Light IS affected by gravity. Light "supposedly" has no mass, yet it is still affected by gravity. Is F=Gm1m2/r^2 not really the correct way to look at it? Is this just a simplified case? I understand that spacetime is curved and this is what really causes gravitational effects according to Einstein. Any "object" (photon, electron, with mass, massless) is affected by gravity because it is following curved spacetime. This tells me that the definition for gravitational force is incorrect. If the mass of one of the two objects is 0, then F=0. Both objects are taken into account when both have mass because they both warp spacetime around them, but if only one has mass, IT ONLY warps spacetime, but the definition does not leave room for this idea.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm..............?

Even with the answers given so far, what is the correct definition of the gravitational force if the REAL cause if the curvature of spacetime?

Answer 1

Mass = Energy. Light has energy. the F=G(m1m2/r^2) Is slightly incorrect, as during Newton's time they did not know that Mass = energy and energy has gravity.

Answer 2

The light still has to travel through space. The question of its mass is not the point, the point is that the space was warped by the mass of the Sun enough to bend the light as it passed through the curved space. In fact, a massless photon (see links below) actually is the proof that space is curved near massive objects.

Answer 3

stars create light due to very intense pressure stars are all similar in mass therefore the waves would have like qualities i.e. similar density creating an oppositional for the bending of light take into consideration also that stars move very fast relative to their weight (big bang theory) and that this could possible give them more gravity and last consider that waves follow the path of least resistance they have tensile qualities that have a quality called toleration when toleration and thus when Gm1m2/r^2 is greater than the tensile toleration of the wave(s) magnetism causes bending proper/ mass velocity can bend reducing the resistance coefficient because the gravity creates a pivot of e greater than proton density=+^v

Answer 4

Light is one of those phenomenon that has been explained in both particle and wave form. For relativity, you must assume that light is made of particles or the theory will not work. Maxwell had a theory about light as waves. Perhaps try looking up Maxwell and try to compare the two theories. I took 3 years of physics and physical chemistry also and it is still difficult to wrap my mind around light having both wave and particle characteristics.

Answer 5

Actually, the mass of photons had been calculated and verified the better part of a century ago. The problem is that they subsequently determined that it was a waveform energy. It is a problem.

Answer 6

Light doesn't have mass when it's not moving. When it is moving it has mass. Mass = energy. How elegant.

Answer 7

photons are attracted be the sun's atmosphere...maybe magnetic force