2006-10-12 14:22:21 · 4 answers · asked by Slick 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The answer is "universal gravitation."
But that doesn't give you an answer. It just gives you a name for it.
Scientists know a lot about the force of gravity and how it works, but they do not know what "causes" it, so there really isn't a known answer to your question.
While you're waiting for scientists to unravel the mysteries of gravity, here's something to think about:
Suppose that, while the moon is orbiting around the earth, held in its curving orbit by the force of gravity, that the earth suddenly disappears.
Would the moon INSTANTANEOUSLY change course, since there is no force holding it in its orbit? Or would there be a slight delay ... perhaps the length of time it would take light to travel from earth to the moon? In other words, what is the speed of gravity? Is it instantaneous? Or does it travel at the speed of light? Or perhaps slower? If it's instantaneous, does that create an opportunity somehow to send a message from one location to another at a speed greater than the speed of light?
Also, what oracle of Olimpia says (first response above) is true.
2006-10-12 14:32:30 · answer #1 · answered by actuator 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes, matter will not attract other matter, such as a ferric oxide N magnetic pole is rejected by another cobaltic steel N magnetic pole.
2006-10-12 22:08:08 · answer #2 · answered by tom 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
b/c matter curves the space around it causing the other body to move (attract)
"mass tells space how to curve, space tells matter how to move"
this is GR Einsteins equations in words
2006-10-12 21:27:45 · answer #3 · answered by oracle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
does it really matter?
2006-10-12 21:30:11 · answer #4 · answered by recyclingmamma@sbcglobal.net 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋