How Does Gravity Cause Acceleration Towards a Massive Object in Space?

In summary, gravity is a property of space itself that affects the movement of objects. The inverse-square rule applies to other things too, such as light.
  • #1
automan
3
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Please forgive me if this is a basic question. I have no education past high school and this is my first post on this forum. I can only understand something if I can visualize it in my head... see the picture in my mind.

Can you describe the mechanism that makes an object in space not just move towards a massive object, but also accelerate towards it?
 
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  • #2
Welcome to Physics Forums, automan! :smile:

automan said:
Can you describe the mechanism that makes an object in space not just move towards a massive object, but also accelerate towards it?
Gravity?? I'm not quite sure what you're asking.
 
  • #3
Yeah, I understand that gravity does it. I understand the Newtonian math involved and even how General Relativity describes it, but I don't fully understand the underlying mechanism. I understand the acceleration is measured by the inverse of the square of the distance, but I don't quite understand why.
 
  • #4
Ah. Hmm. Probably the only thing I can think of to describe it is "the curvature of spacetime". Its one of those things that are quite difficult to pin down at the source. Before Einstein, it was only thought of as an "unseen force acting at a distance", and seemed mysterious.

The inverse-square rule applies to other things as well, such as light, so I'd say its a property of space itself.


That's most of the thoughts I have on the subject. I'm a pretty much a noob, so someone else here might be able to offer you some insight.
 
  • #5
I think there is a missing measurement in physics. One that describes a unit of space, not in terms of length, width, depth, but in terms of the space on a 4 dimensional plane. It's like gravity is a compression of space into a mass. The units of space around the compressed unit stretch towards the mass to fill in the void. It takes X amount of time for an object moving at a steady rate to pass through a unit of space, even if that unit is stretched towards a mass. This is what we view as gravitational acceleration towards a mass.
What do you think?
 
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FAQ: How Does Gravity Cause Acceleration Towards a Massive Object in Space?

What is the difference between gravity and acceleration?

Gravity is a force that attracts objects towards each other, while acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity. Gravity is a natural phenomenon that occurs due to the mass of an object, whereas acceleration can be caused by various factors such as a force or a change in direction.

How does gravity affect acceleration?

Gravity can affect an object's acceleration by either increasing or decreasing it. For example, when an object is dropped from a height, gravity pulls it towards the ground, causing it to accelerate downwards. On the other hand, when an object is thrown upwards, gravity acts against the motion, causing the object to decelerate until it reaches the peak of its trajectory.

Is there a limit to how much acceleration an object can experience?

Yes, there is a limit to an object's acceleration, known as the terminal velocity. This is the maximum velocity that an object can reach when falling under the force of gravity. Once an object reaches its terminal velocity, the forces of gravity and air resistance are balanced, resulting in a constant velocity.

How does the mass of an object affect its acceleration due to gravity?

The mass of an object does not affect its acceleration due to gravity. According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Therefore, regardless of an object's mass, it will experience the same acceleration due to gravity.

Can acceleration exist without the presence of gravity?

Yes, acceleration can exist without the presence of gravity. For example, when a car speeds up or slows down, it experiences acceleration without the influence of gravity. Acceleration can also be caused by other forces, such as friction, air resistance, or a change in direction.

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