What is the source for gravity, or what causes it in things? I understand that way massive the object is, the force will be great (and depends on length between a second object too), then, the object creates it? How?

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What is the source for gravity, or what causes it in things? I understand that way massive the object is, the force will be great (and depends on length between a second object too), then, the object creates it? How?

In: Physics

5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

TLDR: We aren’t entirely sure yet

Gravity is one of the fundamental forces of nature, but unlike the other forces like electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force, Gravity doesn’t have an opposite (that we are aware of) that cancels it out. It is also the weakest of the forces by far but also seems to accumulate without limit.

What we perceive as Gravity is a warping of the fabric of spacetime and appears to be directly linked to mass. Objects do not fall towards a massive object because there is some kind of particle or force pulling on it, but rather because spacetime itself has become warped so objects fall towards each other like a ball rolling down a hill.

One current theory is that mass, and by extension gravity, is imparted onto things by the presence of sub atomic particles. This might be the Higgs Boson, or a theoretical particle called a Graviton.

It wouldn’t be gravitons flying out and pulling on an object that causes gravity, but rather the presence of gravitons warps or bends space

Anonymous 0 Comments

Spacetime is curved downwards, which makes nearby objects “roll” (move) towards the object.

Think of it like this: You have a trampoline, and you place a big heavy bowling ball right on it. It rolls right to the center of the trampoline, and there is now a big circular dent around it. You put a golf ball somewhat near this dent, and it will roll down the slope and bump into the bowling ball. This dent is gravity and the trampoline is spacetime. (disclaimer: not a scientist or expert, Wikipedia ususally explains these things pretty well)

Anonymous 0 Comments

We don’t know yet. But we do know little bits of the world -subatomic particles- tell everything bigger than them how they work, from radiation to electricity. We think there might be bits called gravitons that tell their bigger parts how gravity works, but we haven’t seen one yet.

Anonymous 0 Comments

TLDR: Science hasn’t progressed that far. We don’t know

The only thing we yet know about the ’cause’ of gravity is attributed to a particle known as graviton. It is also speculated and not yet proven.

There are 4 fundamental forces in the world. Arranged in descending power of strength:
1. Strong nuclear force
2. Weak nuclear force
3. Electromagnetic force ( a.k.a Coulomb’s force )
4. Gravitational force

Only 2nd and 3rd are bit understood in terms of cause. 1st and 4th are not. The day we understand the cause, mathematical relationship and pan-force analogy, we’ll have reached the Grand Unified Theory ( GUT ) which was and is the wet dream of thousands of physicists/ astro-physicists throughout the world and decades.

So your question is.. so when will the GUT be ready?

Anonymous 0 Comments

We don’t exactly know why, but the bigger the mass, and the shorter the distance, the stronger the force, as given by gravitational equations.