What is gravity, actually?

Question

I have read that it may consist of gravitron particles.. but how far have scientist come on this subject?

Answer 1

It's a force. Pure and simple.

Answer 2

The graviton is still theoretical as scientists have yet to discover it, or prove it's existence. The graviton would be the way in which the force of gravity propogates, in the same way that light propogates via the photon particle/wave. Because we've yet to discover the graviton, at this time we have only the theory of it's existence. Scientists also have yet to discover the theoretical "gravity wave", a spacetime disturbance initiated by a large gravitational event, such as a neutron star collapse.

Simplistically, gravity is the attracting force of nature, and caused by the mass of an object: the higher the mass, the stronger the gravitational pull/attraction...or the curving of spacetime. In physics, it it stated as being one of the 4 fundamental forces of nature. In Einstein's General Relativity theory, it is stated as the geometrical curving/distortion of spacetime, and not as a force, at all. While the laws of gravity are firmly understood, we do not currently understand what it actually IS.

While we have come a long way in the past century toward understanding physics, our current theories are not "complete", as of yet. String Theory (and Quantum Loop Gravity theory, both) show promise as being the FINAL theory, but it's still too early to tell. The equations of String Theory are daunting at best, and need to be seriously whittled down before mainstream science will take it more seriously.

Perhaps we are just waiting for the next "Einstein", who would have some breathtaking insight no one has yet had, turn our current physics on its head, and finally open our eyes to the true reality of nature and how it all works. Maybe he will find God...who knows?

Answer 3

A force caused by the attraction of two or more bodies of mass. Thing of a sheet outstretched tightly in air. Put a heavy object, like a bowling ball in the center and it sinks down. Now place another object, like a marble on the sheet at the edge. Of course it will roll towards the heavy object because it is lower, but many thing that mass causes space to react like the sheet, so bodies are attracted to each other. The motion of the marble moving to the bowling ball would be just like gravity if you couldn't see the sheet. Don't know about gravitron theories...sorry.

Answer 4

Hi. Gravity is the mutual attraction of mass to mass. The CAUSE of gravity can be visualized in a couple of different ways.

One is that mass interacts with the space around it twisting it in such a way that, if you only look at 2 dimensions, it appears similar to a flexible sheet with a weight on it. (Of course there are more than 2 dimensions so the actual twisting of space is harder than this to visualize.) Another object would try to "roll" down into the hole and is therefore "attracted" to the object.

Another is that massive particles give off "gravitons", resulting in an almost unbelievably weak attractive force at "normal" densities. (You can overcome the force of the entire Earth when you pick up your mouse.) The exchange of these particles pulls the objects together.

Answer 5

Gravity is difficult to explain. All mass exacts a gravitational force on other mass. More mass equals more gravity. It is the wakest of the 4 fundamental interactions of particles, but it acts over great distances and is always attractive. It is not known what actually creates gravity, but there are many theories at the following website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity.
Gravity could be explained as a curve. It is not enough to simply say that gravity is a force. You should look up General Relativity.

Answer 6

Gravitrons and gravity waves are statements that just exist in theoretical physics and have never approved in experiments (it's difficult to detect any of them).

But anyway, gravity is one of the four fundamental forces in nature. As we all now, gravity force exist between any two objects having mass. And every object, who has mass, have a gravity field around it. And because of gravity field it is believed that gravity field is spread through space by gravity waves (carried by gravitrons). It's based on the same principle as light is an electromagnetic wave and it's carried by photon.

Answer 7

OK, here is the very latest theory. Contrary to what your hearing it has NOTHING to do with the magnetic earth field. What it does have to do with is the big bang theory. In layman terms, wouldn't you agree that when you are near a big explosion you would feel pressure, the answer is yes. Therefor the big bang that started the creation of the universe admitted a pressure beyond belief. That pressure continues today and is felt greatest on planets like Earth. This would explain why gravity is greater on larger planets. Now here is the real shocker that nobody is telling, you if you haven't already figured it out. Gravity is PUSHING not pulling.

Answer 8

No one really knows, but physics is rich with guesses. I like this one:

"Our universe is a four-dimensional hypersphere, which rotates about a five-dimensional axis which is orthogonal to a hyperplane containing the universe. The rotation creates centripetal acceleration, which is generally orthogonal to the universe's space in every point (and not perceived by the objects of the universe*). However, the centripetal acceleration causes curving of the space in vicinity of massive bodies. As a result, in the curved areas the acceleration is not orthogonal to the space, which appears to the universe's objects as gravity."
[See source.]

Gravity is the effect of curved space near mass; that's the relativistic point of view. The cited source claims the curves in space are due to inertia resisting the centripetal force of the universe as it accelerates along a fifth dimension.

It is very much like putting an apple, representing a mass, on a rubber bed sheet, representing the universe. Now stretch the sheet out by the four corners and suddenly jerk it into the air. The rubber sheet will curve where the apple is because of the apple's inertia, which wants to keep the apple where it was and not accelerate with the sheet.

In similar fashion, as the universe accelerates, the masses (planets) resist that acceleration because of their respective inertia. That resistance results in the space curves (gravity) around the masses.

Answer 9

Several theories exist as to the true nature of gravitational attraction, from gravitron particles to curved space. Basically it is the inherent nature of matter/energy existing in the physical form of this universe to move towards becoming one again, as before the big bang.

Answer 10

In physics, gravitation or gravity is the tendency of objects with mass to accelerate toward each other. Gravitation is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature, the other three being the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force. Gravitation is the weakest of these interactions, but acts over great distances and is always attractive. In classical mechanics, gravitation arises out of the force of gravity (which is often used as a synonym for gravitation). In general relativity, gravitation arises out of spacetime being curved by the presence of mass, and is not a force. In quantum gravity theories, either the graviton is the postulated carrier of the gravitational force[1], or time-space itself is envisioned as discrete in nature, or both.

The gravitational attraction of the earth endows objects with weight and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped (the earth also moves toward the object, but only by an infinitesimal amount). Moreover, gravitation is the reason for the very existence of the earth, the sun and other celestial bodies; without it matter would not have coalesced into these bodies and life as we know it would not exist. Gravitation is also responsible for keeping the earth and the other planets in their orbits around the sun, the moon in its orbit around the earth, for the formation of tides, and for various other natural phenomena that we observe.

Answer 11

A pull. Gravity is measured in Newtons. On earth is 9.88N ~ 10N.
Every planet has got a different pull of Gravity. Gravity acts vertically downwards i.e 90° from any object. In space there's no gravity, infact if you have ever seen videos of austrounauts they are like flying!