- #1
Jake Banner
If the inverse square law for gravity varies with distance or distribution of matter, might the need for “dark matter” be obviated?
Jake Banner said:If the inverse square law for gravity varies with distance or distribution of matter
PeterDonis said:There have been other theories proposed (such as MOND)
The inverse square law states that the force of attraction between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In simpler terms, as the distance between two objects increases, the force of attraction between them decreases exponentially.
No, the inverse square law applies specifically to forces that follow a radial pattern, such as gravitational and electrostatic forces. It does not apply to forces that act in a linear or angular direction, such as friction or tension.
No, the inverse square law holds true for distances that are large enough to be considered negligible compared to the distance between the objects. This means that for very small distances, the inverse square law may not accurately describe the force of attraction between two objects.
Yes, the inverse square law is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects. This means that as the mass of one or both objects increases, the force of attraction between them also increases.
The inverse square law holds true for gravity as long as the distance between the two objects is large enough to be considered negligible. However, at extremely large distances, other factors such as the expansion of the universe may affect the force of gravity between objects. Additionally, the inverse square law breaks down at very small distances, where the effects of quantum mechanics become more prominent.