- #1
Jeff Reid said:Amazed that I responded to this thread. There doesn't appear to be enough information, such as the vertical distances, and the distance between large happy planet and the finish line.
Hi JeffChuck St. Lou said:
Hi Jeff
The distance to the finish line is 1000 kilometers. It's called "Fast & furious 1000 Kilometer Vacuum Race Way"
As for the vertical distance, I am not sure what you mean? Each race is a different event i.e. Same place same distance at different times. Everything is the same except for the masses of the two objects released. In the illustration I mention the events are a week apart.
Jeff Reid said:Still needed are the vertical distances between willie and balloon, as well as the vertical component of distance between happy planet, willie, and balloon. If I put willie 1 trillion km below happy planet and balloon, balloon will win the race everytime.
Jeff Reid said:While not completely giving away the answer, consider each race as a closed system, and note that being a closed system, with no external forces, the center of mass of each closed two body system will not move.
Jeff Reid said:While not completely giving away the answer, consider each race as a closed system, and note that being a closed system, with no external forces, the center of mass of each closed two body system will not move.
What I meant was that the center of mass between Happy Place and balloon doesn't move, and neither does the center of mass between Happy Place and Willie.Chuck St. Lou said:Yes each race is a closed system with no external forces.
Yes the balloon, Willie, and Happy Place will keep their round shape during the race with the center of gravity at their center i.e. no tricks.
Jeff Reid said:What I meant was that the center of mass between Happy Place and balloon doesn't move, and neither does the center of mass between Happy Place and Willie.
Gravity's Race/Contest refers to the hypothetical competition between objects in a gravitational field to determine which one will reach a specific destination first.
Gravity is the force that attracts objects towards each other. The strength of gravity between two objects depends on their masses and the distance between them. In the race, the object with a larger mass will experience a greater gravitational force and therefore, will have a faster acceleration towards the destination.
The object with the larger mass and/or closer proximity to the destination will most likely win in "Gravity's Race/Contest" due to its stronger gravitational force and faster acceleration. However, other factors such as air resistance, surface friction, and shape of the object can also play a role.
No, gravity is not the only force at play. Other forces such as air resistance and surface friction can also affect the outcome of the race. These forces can either help or hinder an object's speed and acceleration.
In theory, the outcome can be accurately predicted using the laws of gravity and other relevant forces. However, in the real world, there are many variables and factors that can affect the race, making it difficult to accurately predict the winner.