Gravitational Effect: 2 Masses N, 2 Larger Masses Further Apart

In summary, the question is whether the gravitational effect between two larger masses, which are further apart, is greater due to the increased distance between them. However, according to Newton's law of gravitation, the force of gravity decreases with distance, so the larger masses would have to be at a greater distance from the center in order to have an equal gravitational force as the smaller masses. Therefore, the gravitational effect between the two larger bodies would not necessarily be greater.
  • #1
Einstein's Cat
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If there are two masses with the gravitational effect of (say) N and there are two larger masses which are wider apart but with the same gravitational effect of N; is the gravitational effect between the two larger bodies (that are further apart) greater due to the increased distance between them?
 
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Einstein's Cat said:
If there are two masses with the gravitational effect of (say) N and there are two larger masses which are wider apart but with the same gravitational effect of N;
What do you mean by "gravitational effect"? Do you mean the gravitational force between the two masses?
 
  • #3
Einstein's Cat said:
If there are two masses with the gravitational effect of (say) N and there are two larger masses which are wider apart but with the same gravitational effect of N; is the gravitational effect between the two larger bodies (that are further apart) greater due to the increased distance between them?

By "gravitational effect" do you mean the force between them? If so (and it's hard to imagine what else you might mean), you can calculate it directly from Newton's ##F=Gm_1m_2/r^2##. It should be clear from inspection that increasing the distance weakens the force and increasing one or both masses strengthens it. Which effect dominates in any particular situation depends on how you choose the masses and the distances.
 
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How is this a paradox?
 
  • #5
Vanadium 50 said:
How is this a paradox?
I agree. I changed the name of the thread to "gravitational effect"
 
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The reason I labeled it "Gravitational Paradox" is because I've developed a paradox of gravity that would either compromise Newton's universal law of gravitation or if not Einstein's special theory of relativity. The question I asked was to hopefully undermine the paradox
 
  • #7
  1. PF is not for development of personal theories.
  2. It has been known since 1905 that Newtonian gravity and SR were incompatible.
  3. Finding "paradoxes" before understanding the theory is somewhere between useless and impossible. Concentrate on learning the theories first.
 
  • #8
Einstein's Cat said:
If there are two masses with the gravitational effect of (say) N and there are two larger masses which are wider apart but with the same gravitational effect of N

How can you have larger masses with the same gravitational force? If there mass is greater there gravity is also greater.

Einstein's Cat said:
Is the gravitational effect between the two larger bodies (that are further apart) greater due to the increased distance between them?

Gravity decreases with distance (double the distance quarter the force) so no there larger mass will create more gravitational force at the same distance.

Do you mean at a greater distance from say a object centred between them? If so then the larger masses would have to be at a greater distance from the centre to have a equal gravitational force. If they were four time the mass of the smaller masses they would have to be double the distance away.
 

FAQ: Gravitational Effect: 2 Masses N, 2 Larger Masses Further Apart

How does the distance between two masses affect the gravitational force between them?

The gravitational force between two masses increases as the distance between them decreases. This means that if the two masses are further apart, the gravitational force between them will be weaker than if they were closer together.

What is the formula for calculating the gravitational force between two masses?

The formula for calculating the gravitational force between two masses is F = G(m1m2)/d^2, where F is the force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and d is the distance between them.

How does the mass of an object affect its gravitational pull?

The greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational pull will be. This means that larger masses will have a greater effect on other objects around them through gravitational force.

How does the gravitational effect of two smaller masses compare to that of two larger masses?

The gravitational effect of two smaller masses will be weaker than that of two larger masses, assuming that the two pairs of masses are the same distance apart. This is because the force of gravity is directly proportional to the mass of an object.

What happens to the gravitational force between two masses if one of the masses is increased while the other remains the same?

If one of the masses is increased while the other remains the same, the gravitational force between them will increase. This is because the force of gravity is directly proportional to the mass of an object, so an increase in one mass will result in a proportional increase in the gravitational force.

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