Galileo's experiment and equivalence principle

In summary, Galileo's experiment at Pisa is considered an illustration of the Equivalence Principle because it showed that the acceleration of an object due to gravity is independent of its mass. This led to the understanding that the ratio of an object's gravitational mass to its inertial mass is a constant, which is typically chosen to be 1 for simplicity in calculations. However, this constant could be any value and the value of G is adjusted accordingly to match experimental results.
  • #1
AlonsoMcLaren
90
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Why do we say that Galileo's experiment at Pisa is an illustration of Equivalence Principle?

All we know is that

G* (mass of earth)*(gravitational mass of object)/(R^2) = (intertial mass of object)*a

Therefore,
a=G* (mass of earth)*(gravitational mass of object)/(R^2 * (inertial mass of object))

The experiment shows that a does not change for different objects.
But this only guarantees that (gravitational mass of object)/(inertial mass of object)= a constant, which is not necessarily 1.
 
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  • #2
AlonsoMcLaren said:
But this only guarantees that (gravitational mass of object)/(inertial mass of object)= a constant, which is not necessarily 1.

We choose the value of G so that that constant is equal to 1. We don't have to - it just makes the math simpler. We could, if we wanted, say that that constant was equal to 2, and use a value of G which was greater by a factor of four to make the calculation match the force that we measure experimentally ... but why bother?
 

What is Galileo's experiment?

Galileo's experiment refers to the famous experiment conducted by Galileo Galilei in the late 16th century, in which he dropped objects of different masses from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they fall at the same rate. This experiment is considered a fundamental demonstration of the concept of gravitational acceleration and is often used to illustrate the laws of motion.

What is the significance of Galileo's experiment?

Galileo's experiment is significant because it provided evidence for the concept of gravitational acceleration and challenged the prevailing belief at the time that objects of different masses fall at different rates. This experiment was a crucial step in the development of the scientific method and helped pave the way for further studies on gravity and motion.

How does Galileo's experiment relate to the equivalence principle?

The equivalence principle, proposed by Albert Einstein, states that the effects of gravity are indistinguishable from those of acceleration. This principle is closely related to Galileo's experiment as it essentially states that all objects, regardless of their mass, will fall at the same rate in a gravitational field, just as Galileo demonstrated with his experiment.

What is the difference between Galileo's experiment and Newton's theory of gravitation?

Galileo's experiment showed that objects of different masses fall at the same rate, while Newton's theory of gravitation explained why this is the case. Newton's theory states that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This theory expanded upon Galileo's experiment and provided a mathematical framework for understanding gravity.

How has Galileo's experiment influenced modern science?

Galileo's experiment has had a profound impact on modern science, particularly in the fields of physics and astronomy. It was a key event in the development of the scientific method, which is still used today. Galileo's experiment also helped pave the way for future studies on gravity and motion, which ultimately led to the development of Einstein's theory of general relativity and our current understanding of the universe.

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