since space is curved is a object in orbit actually traveling in a straight line.?

Answer 1

What a cool thought!

Now according to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, gravity is the curvature of space that results from a massive object. Think of a sheet of rubber with heavy marbles placed on it. The rubber around the marbles will be curved and smaller marbles placed nearby will roll toward the heavier ones. This is analogous to the way massive objects warp space. This warping is called gravity. From the marble's perspective, it appears to be heading straight for the massive object while under its gravitational influence, assuming no other forces are applied creating sideways movement, while in fact, according to the theory, it is traveling in an arc, or curve.

Again, this is a theory that explains the motion of heavenly bodies under the influence of gravity.

Addendum: Possibly nothing in space can truly travel in a straight line since it would always be influenced by some gravitational pull. Something orbiting the earth, is also orbiting the Sun, which is zipping through our galaxie, and the galaxie is also spinning and traveling through the universe. Just try flying straght with all that going on!

Again, great question!

Answer 2

Space/time is curved, not just space. To call an orbit a straight line, would not be accurate except in an abstract sence. There is a kind of stasis or balance to it. To the person in orbit, they might think they're moving in a straight line becauase they aren't expending any force to stay there. But the fact is, its a curved line because the force of gravity is continually bending the path. In fact just about the only thing it can't be is a straight line.

Answer 3

Gravity does cause space to curve, but the effect is very small for normal objects. A straight line through space is defined by the path that light follows, not planetary orbits. So, no, an object in orbit really is following a curved path.

Answer 4

Let's deal with the common case (Newtonian physics) and not the bizarre exceptions (relativistic influences). The answer is no, light does not orbit anything. Usually, light ( like all electro-magnetic radiation) travels in all directions away from its source in straight lines. Special sources can be created which radiate in specific directions. However, once radiated, light will continue to in a straight line until it encounters something to reflect, refract, diffuse or absorb it. In a way, it would be easy mistakenly consider the fact that the sky is blue as evidence that light is in 'orbit' around the earth. In actuality of course, this is the result of atmospheric diffusion process which scatters short wavelengths. This, by the way, fully obeys the 'straight line rule' as stated above. There are some strange and interesting exceptions to this 'straight line rule' brought about by relativistic influences of extreme gravitational fields, but none result in light traveling in an orbit. If you like the notion of light in 'orbit', you might enjoy learning more about relativistic behaviors of light, matter and time.

Answer 5

vast distances relative to an observer in a 2 dimensional plane looks straight, in a three dimensional plane, u can see the path which is curved, the fourth dimension which is time and the fifth hypothetically from an observer the space curve is obvious,most simple explanation would be an object travelling the fabric of space time....space curvature is evident

Answer 6

Technically, the path is not a straight line, it is a geodesic. It is the straightest possible line given the curvature. As an analogy, a great circle on a sphere is a geodesic, but is not a straight line. But, yes, free fall orbits are geodesics.

Answer 7

The curvature of space is observable only on very, very large scales, i.e. billions of light years, comparable to the size of the observable universe itself. On the scale of Earth, space looks "flat", which is to say that it obeys Euclidean geometry. (Meaning that he angles of a triangle sum to 180 degrees.)

So an orbiting satellite is indeed following a curved path, as your intuition would suggest... not a straight one.

In the vicinity of a strong gravitational field, the curvature of space can also be strong enough to be noticed. For example, when a light ray passes close to the sun, it gets bent. In that case, the "straight" path is indeed slightly curved.

Answer 8

You say that as if it is a fact....there is only actual proof of minor curvature, and that does have to do with gravitational forces pulling. You CAN travel in a straight line, imo....the curvature would never be noticed by us, as the Universe is so vast and expanding at such a high rate that we would never reach the edge of the universe which IS actually curved.

Answer 9

The key word is "orbit". If something is orbiting, it's in an elliptical path (usually), and hence, not in a straight line.

Answer 10

Time is in the curve. yes things are straight as you know them. try looking at the string theory.