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"pulled" by gravity

2007-03-19 20:12:41 · 2 answers · asked by Dexter 1 in Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space

2 answers

Since a ray of light has no mass, and gravity requires two masses for there to be a "pull", it would seem impossible that light could be bent by gravity. But like everything, even reason has its flaws. Einstein predicted that light leaving a gravitational field lowers its wavelength as it leaves a gravitational field, instead of slowing down. Therefore it doesn't exactly stop and fall back into a black hole, but loses energy until it's wavelength goes to zero. Since wavelength determines the energy of light, it also represents mass. Energy is also matter, so whatever mass light represents goes into the black hole when it fails to achieve the energy needed to escape it.

2007-03-19 20:25:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Hi. The fabric of space-time. Hard to imagine vacuum being 'bent' but it looks like that actually happens. This 'fabric' is also bent by objects with much less intense gravity such as the Earth (and you).

2007-03-23 07:30:54 · answer #2 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0 0

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