I know that the force of gravity is based on the mass of an object and on a scale from 0 to infinity it would be linear or a steady incline. For example Earth=1 and a black hole=1000 and all points in between would be equally spaced. My thoughts are that gravity is not consistently linear through out the universe. The circumstance for the variation in gravity is up in the air(meaning I don’t know)however I am curious to know what you think. Also please don’t answer my question with a question, which I am sure there are many.
2006-09-26 06:27:04 · 8 answers · asked by David W 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Of course, the force of gravity vaires with the distance between objects, but I will assume you are asking the more interesting question: Is the law of gravity consistent throughout the universe on all scales? This is actually an open question under serious study by astrophysicists today. We do not know whether gravity is constant throughout the universe.
We know that gravity obeys the "inverse square" law (discovered by Isaac Newton) as far as we have been able to observe it, meaning that the force of gravity between any two objects is proportional to their mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them (ignoring relativistic effects for the sake of simplicity). However, it is possible that the inverse square law breaks down on an extremely small, sub-atomic scale, or on an extremely large, astronomical scale.
The motion of distant galaxies in space cannot be explained by the inverse square law and the mass of known kinds of matter and energy. It is widely believed that there must be another form of matter, called "dark matter," and another form of energy, called "dark energy," to explain the observed motions. However, some theorize that rather than exotic kinds of matter and energy, the explanation may be that the inverse square law of gravity does NOT hold true on all scales.
So the best current answer to your question, "Is gravity constant?", is "Probably, but we're not sure."
2006-09-26 08:28:42 · answer #1 · answered by Jack D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The force of gravity on an object depends on the distance between the object that gravity is acting on and the object (usually a lot bigger) that is creating the gravitational field.
F = Gm1m2/r^2
The force is not constant, because when the distance between the two objects changes, so does the gravitational force.
IF the distance between the two objects somehow always stays the same, and the masses of the objects also stay exactly the same, only THEN will the force stay constant.
2006-09-26 13:33:50 · answer #2 · answered by عبد الله (ドラゴン) 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many constants in physics are related. Currently there is a growing consideration that as the universe ages and expands constants may change. It is possible that gravity varies with respect to the age/size of the universe.
However, I think you were asking if a mass produces the same curvature of space if the mass is in one part of the universe compared to other. Or to put it another way, if space is made of rubber in some places, and steel in other. It's a good question and I'm not sure anyone can answer it with certainty.
2006-09-26 13:36:33 · answer #3 · answered by Michael E 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No. Though gravity is typically related to what we experience here on Earth, gravity is not a constant. I read recently in a report related to weights and measures, that gravity here on Earth will vary slightly based on latitude.
If you compare the moon to Earth, the ratio is something like 0.17:1.
1 is the average force of gravity here.
2006-09-26 13:32:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes
2006-09-26 13:27:59 · answer #5 · answered by notyours 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only for those that do not gain weight as they age.
2006-09-26 13:35:37 · answer #6 · answered by thewordofgodisjesus 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
yes and it has a relationship too
2006-09-26 14:50:32 · answer #7 · answered by dreamz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depends how pissed you are...
2006-09-26 13:30:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋