If the explanation of how gravity works is that any object with mass attracts other objects with less mass, then why isn't a baseball attracted to a bowling ball?
2007-05-09 04:19:50 · 22 answers · asked by perryinjax 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The baseball is attracted to the bowling ball, but the masses are so small compared to other forces that it is difficult to observe.
F=(Gma*mb)/r*r
F=force
G= Gravitational constant
ma=mass a
mb=mass b
r*r= distance between object a and b squared.
The gravitational effect is so small that on earth it does not overcome other forces like friction.
But imagine the rings around Saturn, very small particles that have coalesced into rings trapped in a larger gravitational field.
2007-05-09 04:36:19 · answer #1 · answered by gandalf197 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A baseball IS attracted to a bowling ball by gravity, but the effect is very small.
Every single point mass attracts every other point mass by a force pointing along the line combining the two. The force is proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the point masses
The constant of proportionality is called , the gravitational constant, the universal gravitational constant, Newton's constant, and colloquially Big G. The gravitational constant is a physical constant which appears in Newton's law of universal gravitation and in Einstein's theory of general relativity.
The gravitational constant is a very small number, requireing very large masses to cause a measurable force
2007-05-09 11:26:17 · answer #2 · answered by DanE 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gravity works on everything, but small things like baseballs and bowling balls don't have enough mass to generate a very strong gravitational field. The amount of gravitational attraction between two objects depends on their mass, and the distance between them.
2007-05-09 11:25:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
gravity is a force that develops between two masses (and is the same acting on both - independently of their mass). It is given by the equation
Fgrav = G M m /r^2
(G is a constant, M and m are the masses of the two objects and r is the distance between them).
the magnitude of this force, however, is very small (because G is 6.67*10^-11) - it is significant when you talk about huge masses such as the mass of the moon or slightly smaller . given a force an object will move with a constant acceleration THAT DEPENDS ON THEIR MASS. The greater the mass, the smaller the acceleration, and vice versa, for a given force.
hope this help!
2007-05-09 11:33:32 · answer #4 · answered by Lara M. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is due to very small value of G i.e. universal gravitational constant which involves ten raised to power minus eleven in SI units that the gravitational attraction between a baseball and bowling ball is too negligible to be noticed. The force is calculated by using the formula GMm/R^2.
2007-05-11 09:31:50 · answer #5 · answered by physicsteacher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It IS. Lord Cavendish did an experiment with lead weights in his laboratory to prove that everyday objects exert a gravitational pull on one another. It's just not very strong. Plug in the numbers to F=Gm1m2/r^2 for a bowling ball and a baseball and see how tiny the force is.
2007-05-09 11:28:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is attracted, it's just that the force is so small, so minute, that we won't be able to observe it.
the force is small because the masses involved are small, and the Universal Constant of Gravitation is small.
You can observe gravitation however in the lab, by using an apparatus called the Cavendish experiment. Despite it's simple looks, this experiment allows a careful user to measure G relatively accurately.
2007-05-09 11:27:43 · answer #7 · answered by dudara 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
gravity works on all things - in your example there is an attraction it is overpowered by the much stronger gravitational field the objects are in ( same reason the dirt on your car doesn't cause it to go slower - very small effect compared to the greater forces acting on it )
in space ( no gravity enviroment ) the two object would be attracted to one another from a considerable distance ( measured in feet not inches )
2007-05-09 11:25:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are. But the amount is so miniscule you don't notice it. The mass of the object is in direct relation with how much gravity it has. The earth has so much because of it's size. The bowling ball does but it's extremely small in comparison. Like earth vs moon gravity.
2007-05-09 11:23:34 · answer #9 · answered by David J 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Who said it isnt? Thats like saying if you tried to launch a bowling ball with a cannon that is only powerfull enough to launch a baseball?
You cant without enough force behind it. It's known that objects with less force against gravity are often easier to move but not to penatrate.
2007-05-09 11:32:39 · answer #10 · answered by dev_welling 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋