Single Body Gravitation in a Universe with Only One Planetary Body

In summary, the question at hand is whether a planet would exert a gravitational field if it were the only body in the universe. The response is that yes, it would, as the existence of the planet itself is evidence of its gravitational field. Gravity is essential for planet formation and stability.
  • #1
nDever
76
1
Greetings everyone,

I am a first time poster. I suppose that my initial post will be slightly non-scientific.

This question would seem to to be related to the question asking "Does some event happen if no one is there to observe the happening?"

If the contents of the universe consisted of only one single planetary body, would that body exert a gravitational field?
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Welcome to Physics Forums.

Yes. The fact that the planet exists is evidence that it has a gravitational field. Gravity is what causes planets to form and it is what holds them together. It would not make any sense for a planet to form and then it's gravity disappear. If that happened it would probably break apart and would no longer be considered a planet.
 
  • #3
Ah, I did not take into account that gravity acts on the individual particles that constitute the planet.
 

1. What is single body gravitation?

Single body gravitation is a law of physics that explains the attraction between two objects due to their mass. It 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.

2. What is the difference between single body gravitation and universal gravitation?

Single body gravitation only applies to two objects, while universal gravitation applies to multiple objects in a system. Universal gravitation takes into account the masses and distances of all objects in the system, while single body gravitation only considers the masses and distance between two objects.

3. How is single body gravitation used in real life?

Single body gravitation is used to explain and predict the motion of objects in space, such as planets orbiting around the sun. It is also used in engineering, such as calculating the force needed to launch a satellite into orbit.

4. What is the formula for single body gravitation?

The formula for single body gravitation is F = G * (m1 * m2)/r^2, where F is the force of gravity, G is the universal gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

5. How does distance affect single body gravitation?

According to the inverse square law, the force of gravity decreases as the distance between two objects increases. This means that the force of gravity is stronger when the objects are closer together and weaker when they are further apart.

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