- #1
[Nicolette]
- 7
- 0
I'm reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking and he says that "gravitational effects should travel with infinite velocity" if an object is moved and therefore the gravitational force between them is instantly changed. this gravitational force then moves faster than the speed of light, which special relativity argues is impossible for objects of mass.
BUT I'm thinking that yes, if an object is moved instantaneously, as he proposes, the effect of gravitation would appear to be instantaneous, but i would argue, when in nature would an object be moved instantaeously? isn't it more realistic that an object would be moved at a speed slower than the speed of light, and therefore the gravitational attraction would increase at a speed that is slower than the speed of light? consistent with the theory?
is there a simple answer to why gravitational effects are neglected in the special theory of relativity?
BUT I'm thinking that yes, if an object is moved instantaneously, as he proposes, the effect of gravitation would appear to be instantaneous, but i would argue, when in nature would an object be moved instantaeously? isn't it more realistic that an object would be moved at a speed slower than the speed of light, and therefore the gravitational attraction would increase at a speed that is slower than the speed of light? consistent with the theory?
is there a simple answer to why gravitational effects are neglected in the special theory of relativity?