How Gravity Works?
Gravity keep the moon where it suppose to be i.e. in orbit |
Ever
since the apple fell on Isaac Newton's head that fateful day, scientists are
working hard to know the mysterious force that's gravity. Lucky for us, they've
learned a great deal, and the knowledge is out there for all to see! But like
many such concepts, while most of the people have a grasp there on , rather few
understand completely how it works.
Let's
remedy that. If you would like more Science articles, inspect my previous blog for more scientific & research articles. I will put all links at end of this blog. So, Stay tuned. Now prepare , it’s time to ask the
question: How does Gravity Work?
Newton's Gravity Theory
Sir Isaac Newton |
Sir
Isaac Newton discovered gravity in in 1687, when, as legend tells, an apple
fell from a tree and struck him in the head. It’s likely that events didn't
transpire in quite this way, but the story is a good one. Regardless of the
particulars of his epiphany, Newton was instrumental in developing our
understanding of gravity, when he published his book The Philosophiae Naturalis
Principia Mathematica. the book contain his theory of calculus, his three laws
of motion, and of course, his theory of universal gravitation. Since then,
scientists have expanded on the theory, and we now have a solid grasp on this
seemingly mystical force that keeps things together. In the Newtonian view,
gravity is seen as one of the four fundamental forces of nature, the other
three being electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force. These
forces aren't derived from other things, they simply exist and act of their own
accord. However, it should be noted that gravity isn't always seen as a force,
as Newton would describe it.
Gravitational Force
Gravitational Force = (G x m1 x m2) / (d^2 )
where
G=Gravitational constant.
m1 & m2= Masses of two objects.
d= Distance between the centers of gravity of two objects.
Value of G= 6.67 x 10E-8 Dyne
In case you were curious, the gravitational constant is 6.754 times 10 to the negative 11. Essentially, what this formula states is that the gravitational force depends on the mass of the objects in question, as well as how far apart they are. The farther apart the objects are, the greater the mass must be in order for gravity to act. When an object begins falling, gravity accelerates it at a rate of roughly 9.8 metres per second, until it reaches terminal velocity. This means that each second, the object will speed up by about 9.8 metres per second.
In case you were curious, the gravitational constant is 6.754 times 10 to the negative 11. Essentially, what this formula states is that the gravitational force depends on the mass of the objects in question, as well as how far apart they are. The farther apart the objects are, the greater the mass must be in order for gravity to act. When an object begins falling, gravity accelerates it at a rate of roughly 9.8 metres per second, until it reaches terminal velocity. This means that each second, the object will speed up by about 9.8 metres per second.
Einstein's Gravity
Albert Einstein stated that gravity a consequence of curvature of spacetime. |
According
to Einstein's general theory of relativity, gravity is best seen as a
consequence of the curvature of spacetime, caused by the uneven distribution of
mass. This theory has expanded on Newton's, making it more generally
applicable. However, for the sake of brevity, this article will focus on the
Newtonian view of gravity, as it remains a fairly accurate description, and
provides a nice groundwork for understanding later theories. We may touch on
the Theory of Relativity, as well as other gravitational theories, in later
articles.
So,
back to Newton's gravity. According to the theory of gravity, all objects with
mass are drawn to one another. Objects with greater mass have stronger
gravitational pulls. This pull was instrumental in the forming of the many
planets, stars, and moons in our universe, and continues to act on and within
these planets. The gravitational pull of our sun keeps the planets in orbit
around it, just as the pull of the Earth keeps our moon in orbit.
Conclusion about Gravity
This
is true of all objects, no matter their mass. This is because while an increase
in the object’s mass does increase the gravity that will work on it, it also increases
the force necessary for gravity to pull it. For this reason, despite the
difference in mass, a basketball and a bowling ball will fall at almost exactly
the same rate. What can slow an object down, however, is increased air
resistance. A flat piece of paper will fall much slower than one crumpled in a
ball.
This understanding of gravity is highly
useful and predictive in most realms, and is excellent when looking at everyday
cases. It allows us to understand that it is the great mass of the Earth that
causes us to remain firmly planted on the ground, regardless of what the flat
earth may
claim. It lets us predict where an object will fall, and how quickly it
will do so. Should an apple fall from the sky, we won’t curse the heavens
for launching a magical, vitamin-filled attack on us; we understand that
it was gravity that caused it to occur. And despite Bill O’Reilley’s
insistence to the contrary, we can, in fact, explain why the tides go in
and out.
It’s due to, large gravitational pull of the moon. That
said, gravity doesn’t work the same way across the Earth. There are
certain anomalous regions where gravity acts rather differently. For
example, many parts of the Hudson Bay region seem
to be “Missing” some of their gravity. This phenomenon was first
noticed in the 1960's when the global gravity fields were
being charted. There are two main theories that contend to explain
this. The first is that convection in the Earth’s mantle is responsible,
since it drags the continental plates downwards, thus decreasing the
Earth’s mass in the area, which decreases the effects of gravity. The
second theory claims that it’s due to the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
Before it
melted 10,000 years ago, the sheet was particularly thick in this region,
meaning the indentation left after the melt was even more significant in
this area. This is believed by some to be the cause of the lower
gravity. As of now, we’re not certain which theory is correct, but such is
science. This is but one proof that our understanding of gravity is far
from complete. But the beautiful thing about science is that it is open to
change, and embraces new ideas if they turn out to be correct.
Some
scientists continue to study gravity, and there have been some interesting
discoveries of late that might change our understanding of it
significantly. There are a number of different theories that all claim to
provide a more complete explanation than those of Newton and
Einstein. However, as of yet none of these claims have been fully
supported, so we'll have to wait for further study. Thank you for reading this article, I hope this was interesting and
informative, and maybe even inspired you to look into it further on your
own. If you liked this article, please subscribe to the page. While you’re subscribing, please comment down if you think it satisfied your curiosity.
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