2006-12-11 05:41:14 · 8 answers · asked by Paradise 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
there are 3 ways of looking at gravity between masses.
1. Classical Newtonian gravity, this is basically what you are taught in school. Two massive bodies have an attraction between one another, they are bound by the inverse square law of gravitational attraction dependant on their mass and distance from one another.
2. Particle Physics tells us that gravity, is one of the four forces of nature, Strong nuclear, weak nuclear, electromagnetism and gravity. in particle physics, the forces of nature are caused by the exchange of massless particles, so in Electromagnetism the exchange particle is the photon. similarly gravity has the graviton which is a 'virtual' particle of no mass which is exchanged between two bodies which, in effect, poduces the phenomenon of gravity.
3. Einstein's General theory of relativity says that gravity is not a force. The fourth dimension, space-time, is bent by massive objects. Imagine spacetime as a stretched-out sheet of rubber. if you place a bowling ball on the sheet, an indentation is made, steeper the closer to the ball and flatening out the further away you get. Consider the bowling ball to be the sun. Now take a marble which can be earth, the marble makes less of an indentation on our space-time sheet. Now, Newtonian gravity says that the gravitational pull of the sun keeps the planets in orbit by pulling them back while they are trying to escape. Relativity says that the planets are moving in the plane of least resistance relative to the sun, so that they are moving through the curvature of space-time giving the three dimentional illusion that they are in orbit.
Each explanation is useful in it's own way an all are correct in certain contexts it merely depends on the type of problem that you are faced with as to which one you need to use.
2006-12-11 17:51:21 · answer #1 · answered by william k 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Distance and Mass = Gravity Strength
2006-12-11 05:49:15 · answer #2 · answered by Ring Questions 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The larger the mass, the stronger the magnetic field and the gravity. Nobody can say WHY, but it's there. Like nobody can say why the universe is here and where is going to and for what purpose.
2006-12-11 06:57:44 · answer #3 · answered by pbaez5789@sbcglobal.net 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Some say gravitons, but these are only hypothetical.
There are some zero-point-energy field theories realting to gravity, but really, nobody has anything which can be proven.
To say simply that "gravity bends space" begs the question: "well, how does it do that?"
2006-12-11 05:44:24 · answer #4 · answered by chopchubes 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are equations describing the relationship between two masses, but I don't think anyone knows what causes it.
2006-12-11 05:44:06 · answer #5 · answered by wayfaroutthere 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Masses bend space.
2006-12-11 05:46:01 · answer #6 · answered by N D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the magnetic field of the neighbouring object (in the case of planets).. works in nightclubs too I am told :-((
why did I get the thumbs down guys? I just hoped that some people would smile at the quip at the end :-(
2006-12-11 05:44:03 · answer #7 · answered by ~Mustaffa~Laff~ 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
gravity isn't it?
2006-12-11 05:44:11 · answer #8 · answered by Nomanz 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋