Is Gravity a Force Dependent on Direction?

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In summary: As for acceleration, it is not explicitly mentioned in the equation, but it does play a role in determining the strength of the force. The greater the acceleration (or change in velocity) of one of the masses, the greater the force between them. And yes, gravity exists everywhere in the universe, as it is a fundamental force that affects all objects with mass.
  • #1
15123
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I would like to know if the following statements are true:

Gravity is a force that exists regardless of pull or push. It is actually a force that depends on two masses and the distance between those two masses.

Imagine the following scenario:
You are being shot into a traveling capsule in a tunnel that has no air resistance.

It does not matter whether you are being shot forward in the capsule tunnel or sucked backwards since gravity is not a force reliant on direction
but a force between one body of mass and another body of mass.
The only factors that matter in gravity are acceleration, mass and distance.

The existence of gravity is not dependent on a push/pull action because those are directional vectors and gravity only concerns with acceleration, mass and distance as stated previously. This can be verified by looking at Sir Isaac Newton's equation of Gravitational force:

0f36df929ac9d711a8ba8c5658c3bfee.png


Gravity exists everywhere in the universe.

Thank you.
 
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  • #2
15123 said:
I would like to know if the following statements are true:

Gravity is a force that exists regardless of pull or push. It is actually a force that depends on two masses and the distance between those two masses.

Imagine the following scenario:
You are being shot into a traveling capsule in a tunnel that has no air resistance.

It does not matter whether you are being shot forward in the capsule tunnel or sucked backwards since gravity is not a force reliant on direction
but a force between one body of mass and another body of mass.
The only factors that matter in gravity are acceleration, mass and distance.

The existence of gravity is not dependent on a push/pull action because those are directional vectors and gravity only concerns with acceleration, mass and distance as stated previously. This can be verified by looking at Sir Isaac Newton's equation of Gravitational force:

0f36df929ac9d711a8ba8c5658c3bfee.png


Gravity exists everywhere in the universe.

Thank you.

This is VERY puzzling, and I have no idea where you got some of these things.

There is a constant repetition that gravity is "not direction" and not dependent on "push/pull". I have no idea what that is, but the first is definitely wrong. BY DEFINITION, a "force" MUST have direction, it is a vector! Gravity is a force. Try finding the gravity acting on a mass due to the presence of two other masses in different locations!

Secondly, why is gravity dependent on "acceleration" in your equation? Where does acceleration comes in? All I see is that it is dependent on G, the two masses, and the distance between them. So where is this "acceleration" that you talk about? Do you even know this equation and somehow not realize that what you said contradicts the equation that you are citing?

Zz.
 
  • #3
What do you mean regardless of a "push or pull"? Forces do "push and pull" on objects. I think you mean that gravity does not require physical contact.

I have no idea what you're trying to say with the rest of your post.
 
  • #4
15123 said:
I would like to know if the following statements are true:

Gravity is a force that exists regardless of pull or push.
I have no idea what you mean by "regardless of pull or push"!

It is actually a force that depends on two masses and the distance between those two masses.
Yes, that is true.

Imagine the following scenario:
You are being shot into a traveling capsule in a tunnel that has no air resistance.

It does not matter whether you are being shot forward in the capsule tunnel or sucked backwards since gravity is not a force reliant on direction
The question of "shot forward" or "sucked backwards" is not relevant to the question of "gravity".

but a force between one body of mass and another body of mass.
The only factors that matter in gravity are acceleration, mass and distance.

The existence of gravity is not dependent on a push/pull action because those are directional vectors and gravity only concerns with acceleration, mass and distance as stated previously.
Yes, but that has nothing to do with "those are directional vectors". Gravitational force is also a "directional vector". (You don't need the word "directional" here, all vectors are "directional".)

This can be verified by looking at Sir Isaac Newton's equation of Gravitational force:

0f36df929ac9d711a8ba8c5658c3bfee.png


Gravity exists everywhere in the universe.

Thank you.
What in the world was your purpose in posting this? What you say is correct but can be found in any "general science" textbook, much less a physics text. Do you have a question about gravity?
 
  • #5
Everything that you have said is essentially correct, but certain statements could be rewritten in a clearer way. For example, I am not sure what is meant by a "push" or "pull" force. In a sense Newtonian gravity is a "pull" force, because the force between two masses is always attractive. If you are instead remarking on the tendency of an observer orbiting in space to be unable to "feel" the gravitational force (except perhaps for a very small tidal force) then you are on your way to stumbling into Einstein's "principle of equivalence". This principle led Einstein to hypothesize that gravity is an "inertial force" that emerges from the Riemann intrinsic curvature of space-time, thus leading to general relativity, which remains the most accurate theory of gravity to this day.
 
  • #6
dipole said:
What do you mean regardless of a "push or pull"? Forces do "push and pull" on objects. I think you mean that gravity does not require physical contact.

I have no idea what you're trying to say with the rest of your post.

I mean that the existence of gravity is not dependent on it being a force that pushes or pulls. It does both.
 
  • #7
The equation you give can be stated in words as
"every body in the universe attracts every other body with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them."
I.e. the force is ALWAYS attractive (the square of the distance must be positive as must the two masses. Hence push/pull is irrelevant - the force is along the straight line between them and in the direction from one to the other.) I.e. with two bodies A and B, A experiences a force towards B and B experiences a force towards A.
 
  • #8
15123 said:
I mean that the existence of gravity is not dependent on it being a force that pushes or pulls. It does both.

Please give an example of gravity that "pushes".
 

FAQ: Is Gravity a Force Dependent on Direction?

Is gravity a real force?

Yes, gravity is a fundamental force in the universe that causes objects with mass to be attracted to each other. It is responsible for keeping our planet and other celestial bodies in orbit around the sun.

Can gravity be turned off or canceled?

No, gravity cannot be turned off or canceled. It is a constant force that exists everywhere in the universe. However, its strength can be affected by the mass and distance of objects.

Does gravity only work on Earth?

No, gravity exists everywhere in the universe and affects all objects with mass. It is the reason why planets, stars, and galaxies have their shape and structure.

Is there a difference between gravity and weight?

Yes, gravity and weight are related but different concepts. Gravity is a force that attracts objects to each other, while weight is a measure of the force exerted on an object by gravity. Weight can change depending on the strength of gravity, but gravity itself remains constant.

Does gravity affect time?

Yes, gravity can affect time. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity can cause time to pass slower in areas with stronger gravitational fields. This phenomenon is known as gravitational time dilation.

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