How exactly does gravity work?
These sites have excellent explanations.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question232.htm
http://www.projectshum.org/Gravity/
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/farid/sciencekids/gravity.html
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/def_gravity.shtml
thank you very much
You're very welcome.
Gravity is a natural force that explains why objects with mass or energy are attracted to each other. It is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the sun, enables objects to fall to the ground when dropped, and governs the motion of celestial bodies.
The understanding of how gravity works is based on Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. According to this theory, gravity is not a force transmitted between objects, but rather a result of the curvature of space and time caused by mass and energy.
To get a more in-depth understanding of how gravity works, you could follow these steps:
1. Study Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation:
- Newton's law states that every particle attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
- This law provides a basic understanding of gravitational forces between objects on Earth's scale.
2. Learn about the concept of spacetime:
- Spacetime is a four-dimensional framework that combines the three dimensions of space with the dimension of time.
- According to the theory of general relativity, massive objects cause spacetime to curve, and other objects move along the curves created by this curvature.
3. Dive into Einstein's general theory of relativity:
- Einstein's theory builds upon Newton's law and describes gravity as a curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy.
- The more massive an object is, the greater its effect on the curvature of spacetime, thereby influencing the motion of other objects.
4. Explore gravitational waves:
- Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects.
- Recent scientific discoveries have confirmed the existence of gravitational waves and further support the theory of general relativity.
By following these steps, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how gravity works, starting from the fundamental principles of Newton's law of gravitation to the more advanced concepts of spacetime curvature as described by Einstein's general theory of relativity.