Its origins and nature are still open to postulation. But it is an attractive force only between any two masses and Newton concluded in his uneiversal laws of gravitation that the attractive force (F) was proportional to the masses interacting(M1 and M2) and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart (r)
ie F α M1*M2/d²
whence
F = G*M1*M2/r²
where G is the universal gravitation constant
G ≈ 6.6742 x 10^(-11) Nm²/kg²
2006-11-08 09:20:35
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answer #1
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answered by Wal C 6
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What the ultimate cause of gravity is hasn't been discovered.
One of the most widely accepted current theories explains it by saying that mass changes the shape of space-time.
Gravity seems to be a direct result of the existence of mass. So every part of every object has a gravitational field but gravity is a very weak force, so it is only very massive objects which have an appreciable gravity - things like planets for instance.
Because a planet is approximately spherical the apparent point from which the gravity acts is the centre, but this is just the effect of integrating all the gravitational forces between the large object (the planet) and the smaller object (you, me, a table, or whatever). Every part of every object is contributing to the total gravitational attraction. Because the gravitational attraction between two 'objects' is determined just by their masses and separation, and not their density, even if you split the two objects into tiny pieces but kept their average distance the same, they would still exert the same gravitational force on each other.
When you get two very large objects such as stars in binary systems they orbit around their mutual centre of gravity, a point which is outside both bodies. Even with systems like the earth and moon the orbiting motion is around the mutual centre, but because the earth has much greater mass than the moon, the mutual centre of gravity is very close to the earth's centre of gravity.
2006-11-08 11:42:32
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Gravity is the result of an objects mass. The intensity of the force exerted is the result of how massive the two objects are and the distance between them. What currently isnt fully understood is how that force is transferred between them.
2006-11-08 13:28:53
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answer #3
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answered by propheticwalnut 3
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The gravitational force between two bodies is m1 x m2 divided by r^2
(where m1 and m2 are the masses of the 2 bodies and r is the distance between them)
Physicists haven't yet found a universal theory. This formula above works for gravity
It is appropriate for planets, moons etc.
2006-11-08 09:33:15
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answer #4
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answered by rosie recipe 7
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The theory of gravity and the place it comes from or why it does what it does is a few thing no person has solutions to. although one element we do understand is that Gravity is exerted via all products with mass, vast or small, smaller products have minuscule gravitational forces and subsequently could be seen negligible. Einstein pronounced that Gravity is a results of an objecting warping the gap time "lattice" so as to communicate. think of a huge mattress sheet is pinned on all 4 corners such that the sheet is thoroughly flat. Now think of in case you're taking a huge rock or a bowling ball and throw it on the sheet, needless to say the ball is going to reason the sheet to drop specifically factors, in different words it is going to reason a melancholy interior the mattress sheet. Now in case you threw some pebbles down the sheet, as they roll alongside the sheet in the event that they arrive close to to the rock and the melancholy it is created interior the sheet, the pebbles will roll into the melancholy, and could form of bend or warp around the bowling ball. Please observe that the pebbles themselves are inflicting microscopic dentures/depressions on the sheet itself yet they are no longer extremely great while in comparison with what the vast rock/bowling ball has carried out. Now think of of the sheet by way of fact the universe, the ball as a planet or a huge physique of mass and the pebbles as people, products or maybe surprisingly adequate gentle...sure certainly, gentle can bend by way of gravity. it is called the gravitational lensing. a huge physique of mass inflicting a melancholy in area time, such that gentle/products bend around the article by way of "gravity".
2016-12-14 03:53:39
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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According to the relativity proponent gravity comes from the warping os space time. So if an aircraft stalls. it experiences a warping of space time ,and that is what make it fall. So falling due to gravity has to do with Einstein's warping of space time.
this is hard to believe ,but this is what relativity theory implies about where gravity in an object comes from.
2006-11-08 10:11:54
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answer #6
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answered by goring 6
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gravity is created by the pressure of mass on any point in space...
eg... all the earths weight is drawing a centre of mass at the center, this mass is causes a 'dip' in the space fabric and objects go into orbit around it. As the earth is a larger mass than the moon, it orbits us... as the sun is a larger mass than earth, we orbit it etc etc...
2006-11-08 09:05:18
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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No-one knows the actual nature of gravity. Physicists have been depating this for centuries, and it still isn't settled.
2006-11-08 09:04:21
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answer #8
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answered by PaulCyp 7
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