- #1
trewsx7
- 10
- 1
Why is "squaring" so significant when it comes to basic physical laws?
Let me begin by saying I do not have a background in physics, or science for that matter! I just have an interest in things like cosmology and particle physics because I like to understand things.
So my question is this: why does taking a number and multiplying it by itself so significant, and pops up all the time in fundamental physical laws?
Gravity and electromagnetism operating on an inverse square law. Kinetic energy increases proportional to the speed squared of a given object, mass-energy equivalence, etc...
Is it something that just "is" and science doesn't question it? Does it have something to do with spacetime being geometric, so forces/fields/vectors have to obey some "shortest path" rule, and that path happens to be a "square/inverse square" path? Why aren't these physical phenomena cubed?
Thanks! I look forward to reading your responses!
Let me begin by saying I do not have a background in physics, or science for that matter! I just have an interest in things like cosmology and particle physics because I like to understand things.
So my question is this: why does taking a number and multiplying it by itself so significant, and pops up all the time in fundamental physical laws?
Gravity and electromagnetism operating on an inverse square law. Kinetic energy increases proportional to the speed squared of a given object, mass-energy equivalence, etc...
Is it something that just "is" and science doesn't question it? Does it have something to do with spacetime being geometric, so forces/fields/vectors have to obey some "shortest path" rule, and that path happens to be a "square/inverse square" path? Why aren't these physical phenomena cubed?
Thanks! I look forward to reading your responses!