Is the image that scientists tries to present about gravity wrong?

Question

When scientists explain gravity like a ball sitting on a blanket and space forms a pit around it, shouldent that be incorrect. Isn't gravity all around earth and not just on a single plain? If this is so then the image that is generaly presented should be much more different.

Answer 1

Absolutely. But you can't draw a picture of how it really is in 3D - go try it. The ball in the blanket is still the best analogy anyone has come up with, so far.

So: not "wrong", but "analogy". Can't get through science without analogies. They mustn't be taken literally, though.

Answer 2

The field generated by gravity resembles what is represented by the blanket analogy.



Gravity acts on the earth from all directions but that has nothing to do with the actual field it generates. And remember these diagrams are used to help you visualize it; it does not mean that is exactly what is happening. Remember every object generates a gravitational field that acts on other objects, so it's not going to be a nice smooth path like in the pictures because many gravitational fields are acting in one area.

Answer 3

The bed is just a 2 dimensional representation of the space time continuum, whic is of course a 3 dimentional thing.

When an architect designs a house, he draws it on a flat piece of paper as a 2 dimensional representation, even though the finished house wil be a 3 dimensional object.

It's the exact same thing.
It's just the most efficient way to demonstrate the phenomenon visibly.

Answer 4

As a quantitative explanation of gravity it is very lacking. As a qualitative explanation it gives a very good 'picture' of what is happening. When studying physics it is important to have a good 'picture' of what is going on. Even if it is not completely correct, it still allows you to relate it to something that is easier to understand. So it is not wrong, but it is not right either. It is simply an easily understood concept that gives most people a good idea of what gravity does without requiring a much greater understanding.

Answer 5

Well, yes, gravity is all around the Earth rather than being confined to a plane. The ball sitting on the blanket is a useful way of visualizing mass as distorting and bending spacetime- it is difficult to visualize this bending in three dimensions. This image is used for its illustrative potential rather than technicaly correctness.

Answer 6

They're trying to illustrate gravity as deformation in spacetime. That will be really difficult to do in 3D. I don't know if that's possible. Those pictures are still best way to explain general public about gravity as Einstein sees it. Which isn't easy thing to understand mathematically. They're not saying that is representation of gravity, but illustrating one aspect of gravity using simplified image.

Answer 7

It took a sprint attempt to locate Illulissat in Google Earth, and you're precise, there is hills and a fjord, and greater hilly terrain previously area of the icecap seems---like a minimum of 50 miles away. As I pronounced in my answer to the referenced question, there's a lot of imprecision with regard to the ingredient of remark. regardless of the shown fact that, it continues to be a danger to "observe" that the sunlight has arise early. enable's say which you're a close-by of Illulissat, and you're interior the habit of going to a coffee shop, and the front of that's in perpetual darkness until, say, Jan 13. yet this 3 hundred and sixty 5 days it is lit up on Jan 11. that's a danger to observe those kinds of issues extremely unambiguously that would not matter on subjective interpretation. in spite of everything, it is a lot of those observations that led historical people to erect monuments to mark off astronomical events of the 300 and sixty 5 days. If there is somewhat an good icecap "horizon" to blame for determining whilst this experience happens for Ilulissat, and it is 50 miles away, then somewhat of roughly 30 ft of ice melted down being to blame for 2-days early visual allure of the sunlight, there might must be greater interior the order of 500 ft of ice melted down. A digital crumple of the interior sight icecap. jointly as no longer something concrete can somewhat be pronounced for this tale without greater information, i would not decrease fee natives of Ilulissat reporting an early sunlight. in the event that they say it type of feels somewhat early for the sunlight to seem, i might supply them some credence, by using fact, in spite of everything, they stay there.

Answer 8

Are you saying Einstein's General Relativity is wrong? Because unless you're a genius who's even smarter than Einstein, no scientist would even listen to you. General Relativity and gravity being the curvature of space is very widely accepted throughout the scientific community, and there is evidence backing it up.

Answer 9

Gravity is a myth the earth sucks.

Answer 10

I understand what you mean - ever noticed how a 3D Bart Simpson just doesn't look right - because he has only 9 spikes on his 2d head - it just doesn't translate to 3D...