Science-type question...

[crptcblade]

Can some one explain why gravity exists? For some reason, I've just never been able to grasp the concept of why objects drawn other objects to them.

[nishantp]

Well to sum it up...every atom in the universe is gravitationally attracted to every other atom in the universe. that pen lying on your desk is actually attracted to Pluto. But the forces are way too small to mesure. The earth is the only gravitational force we feel daily, because of our proximity to it.

Talk to Guv or Kedaman for an explanation far more complex

[crptcblade]

Originally posted by nishantp
Well to sum it up...every atom in the universe is gravitationally attracted to every other atom in the universe.

This is the only part I'm having trouble with...why?

I understand most of the concepts like gravitational force spreading across the universe and stuff like that. Its just the question of why all things generate gravity. What causes it?

[Sastraxi]

Maybe all things draw energy towards them and in this way things are attracted...?

[Beacon]

It's all got to do with Beer and Sex crpt trust me Kedaman and guv etc. will try and tell you otherwise but it's all bollocks!

The reason all atoms are attracted to each other is because they actually are pissed nymphomaniacs that just want to have big group orgies.
So they put out a signal to each other that its drunk 2 cases of cascade and it wants a root. Otherwise knows as a gravititational pull. Take the sun for instance that is just one huge orgy going on.

[rjlohan]

Magnetism.

[Beacon]

Originally posted by rjlohan
Orgasm.

Yep thats what i'm sayin!!

[plenderj]

Originally posted by crptcblade
What causes it?

We don't know.

However, please allow me to ramble on ;
The force of gravity between two given bodies :

F = (GMm) / r^2

F = Force of Gravity
G = Universal gravitational constant
M = mass of first body
m = mass of second body
r = distance between bodies


If however you picture space as a riemann curved surface, then its easy to see how gravity would work.

[beachbum]

Jamie, does that formula explain ur stalking of every female that comes onto this forum??? ... lol the other day i nearly spat my cornflakes at ur response to Matt Gates post about Katie...

[plenderj]

heh yeah well he had it coming didnt he

[Arbiter]

Which post was this? Let me see...

[plenderj]

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=125275

[Arbiter]

Hmmm... that was unusually eloquent for you.....

[CiberTHuG]

I think the best way to understand why it exists is...

think of a blanket pulled at its four corners. If you put a ball in the center it will cause the center to sink, and any more balls you place on it will be drawn toward the first.

Well, space is very much like that blanket, and each bodies mass is causing a physically noticable well. Even objects which are not affected by gravity are still affected by this well. For example, as light passes by a mass, it's path will bend slightly. Light doesn't physically travel. It is an energy, but that bit of space is now curved because of the well.

Course, this could be completely wrong, but it is the best idea so far.

[rjlohan]

Makes a good start for space/time-travel movies too.

[darre1]

Originally posted by rjlohan
Makes a good start for space/time-travel movies too.

LOLOLOL

a worm-hole is actually a cigarette burn in the blanket of space-time

[rjlohan]

You gotta hear/read the Michael Crichton explanations, most notably in his Books 'TimeLine' and Book/Movie 'Sphere' - he does a good job of making some really complex **** sound simple.

[beachbum]

Originally posted by error40501
For myself, I'm happy to go with it, because it keeps those pesky Aussies down at the bottom, where they belong.

I would argue with you but the blood is rushing to my head... hyeeellpppppppp

[rjlohan]

Haven't you heard we like it down here? ANyway, the world revolves around us. We are the centre of gravity - all these boats keep getting mysteriously sucked towards Australia....

[beachbum]

Originally posted by rjlohan
Haven't you heard we like it down here? ANyway, the world revolves around us. We are the centre of gravity - all these boats keep getting mysteriously sucked towards Australia....

Except those Norwegian one's with their anti gravity shields

[rjlohan]

It's such a powerful gravititational pull, that sometimes the hull integrity of vessels being drawn towards us is breached, and international *incidents* arise...

[rjlohan]

Originally posted by error40501


BTW I'm 'down' here too, just over to the left a few time zones

Where?

[beachbum]

Rj
I see u have a uts email... I went to that hell hole emmm beautifully designed connurbation of tasteful concrete for a little while... before finishing my course at the beautiful and spacious wollongong uni!! have they worked out how to wash the tower windows yet? The markets area was a little more emmmm modern but u had to stake out a blade of grass on any breaks... arghhh what a ghastly place!!! escape while u still can.....

[rjlohan]

Nope, all still dirty and horrible. Worse still, is I lived on the Central Coast. But there isn't really anywhere better for my course (Software Engineering), unfortunately. I've done 2 years. 3 to go.....

[nishantp]

Originally posted by error40501
Of course, the 'why' part is the tricky bit.

There's a sh*t house full of empirical evidence that gravity DOES exist, be it Newtonian or otherwise, but not, I think, much as to WHY.

If ever you're in doubt of its existence, fell free to try to jump out of your window to make sure you fall






Disclaimer: This was a joke, and only super people like myself should attempt this at home.

[rjlohan]

Bollocks.

I can do thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.......

[Beacon]

How far left error40501?

[NotLKH]

The "Well" Explanation is pretty well documented, but its just imagery.

There is No Rational reason why gravity exists.

BUT...
I've always imageined, Matter, the actual Building Blocks, the really small things, below atoms, actually "Push" the volume of the Space-Time continuum outside of the volume they occupy, to some extent. These Particles push said space out equally in all directions, and tend to "gravitate" {hehehe} towards the center of the PushOut.

Unfortunately, given two or more particles "Pushing" out, in close proximity, the "Push Out" is more dense between the particles than on the opposing sides of the particles. So, trying to equalize the Pushout, the Particles strive to move towards each other, until the push out is as close to being evenly distributed around both particles, as much as possible.

IMHO
Lou

Edit:::
For furthur clarification, I hypothesize the "Space", ie... the dimensions that define space as we know it, does not exist INSIDE the ultimate building blocks of matter. From the Outside, we might be able to measure their radii, but if viewed from the inside, they would be undefined in volume. Now, "Space" err, I hate to say it this way, but might as well, "Wants" to exist at every point within its area we call the "Universe". BUT, what would happen if it just could not occupy a volume within itself. I think it would compensate, and become "Denser" arond that object.

Now, just as an Imagery effect, can you imagine space is "Less Dense" around Massive objects? I can't. The more massive an Object, the more gravity it has. And the standard terminology is , the more warped space is around that object. I'm just saying that the "Warping" can be related to an increase in the "Density" of the space around said object.

Now, the well thing. Obviously, a Well implies "Things fall down" into the well. But with my "Push Out", ie... space gets more dense, it seems to say "Things fall up?" Well, this is not such a farfetched phenomena. Imagine a Miniscus in a cup of water. If you've ever seen particles in a glass of water, just as soon as they reach that area where the water curves UP to the walls of the glass, those particles "Fall Up" to the sides of the glass.

So, the more dense the Space, the greater the gravity. Its not hard to see that, with two particles near each other, both "Pusing Out" space around them, that space is denser between the two. Therefore, by this definition, "Gravity" is greater between the two. And they "Fall Up" towards each other. The OutCome? Space becomes Uniformally Distorted around the Pair of them, as they get closer and closer, until an Equilibrium is established.

-Lou

[plenderj]

Originally posted by CiberTHuG
I think the best way to understand why it exists is...

think of a blanket pulled at its four corners. If you put a ball in the center it will cause the center to sink, and any more balls you place on it will be drawn toward the first.

Well, space is very much like that blanket, and each bodies mass is causing a physically noticable well. Even objects which are not affected by gravity are still affected by this well. For example, as light passes by a mass, it's path will bend slightly. Light doesn't physically travel. It is an energy, but that bit of space is now curved because of the well.

Course, this could be completely wrong, but it is the best idea so far.

Thats basically a riemann curved surface you're talking about there (which I might add I already mentioned).

[Darren]

Hummm.... well to attempt to answer the question a bit more fully:

Everyone knows that electrons are attracted to protons. If you recall your Rutherford description of the atom, you will know that the core contains these protons and some neutrons, then surrounding this is a cloud of electrons.

It is clear and proven (only through observing it) that the electrons are drawn to the protons. However, why do the protons not repel each other? What holds the atoms core together? These questions, as far as i know, have not yet been answered, although they think that there is a force which comes into play when these tiny bodies get extremely close.

Okay so back to gravity. Mass attracts mass. This is because in order to reach stability, atoms are attempting to reach states of lower energy (full outer shells, etc.). On a microscopic level, an atom with a larger posative charge than a negative one will have an overall posative charge (now it is known as an ion). This ion will attract atoms with a negative charge in order to react and achieve a lower energy state.
Now imagine this on a macroscopic level, and it becomes clearer why mass attracts mass.

If you haven't yet deduced that I don't know **** about this, and that I am just elaborating on a basic A-Level knowledge, then you are very easily convinced. I don't know perhaps its right, but don't go quoting it in any essay!

[plenderj]

Protons do repel one another, but the force of repulsion is far less than the force of gravity between the protons and neutrons themselves.

[Behemoth]

There is a very simple reason why fundamental particles attract each other instead of repelling each other...

If they didn't we wouldn't exist to be debating it. Our knee-bone wouldn't connect to our shin-bone. Our shin-bone wouldn't be connected to our foot-bone...

[plenderj]

riiiiiiiiiight