Is gravity a bigger mystery than charge?

In summary, both gravity and electric charge are fundamental forces and scientists are not entirely sure about the mechanism behind either of them.
  • #1
manulal
17
0
Dear Friends,

I am presently studying physics on my own. (Not for a degree but just out of curiosity)

My question is, both gravity and charge being fundamental forces, is science more comfortable in explaining one of them compared to other?

I see some threads here wondering what exactly the mechanism of gravity is. I too wonder about that.

But I did not see anyone asking the same about electric charge. Does it mean that science has a better understanding about the mechanism of charge?

To me, both are equally mysterious.
 
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  • #2
We have physical objects which are the source of the electric charges, and we know that all mass has gravity, but I would say that gravity is a little more mysterious than charge is.
 
  • #3
Electromagnetic force is mediated by photons. The theory (quantum electrodynamics) has been thoroughly worked out.

Gravity on the other hand is a classical theory, using General Relativity. There is a general belief that it should be a quantum theory, with gravitons as the mediator, but so far gravitons have not been detected.
 
  • #4
manulal said:
Dear Friends,

I am presently studying physics on my own. (Not for a degree but just out of curiosity)

My question is, both gravity and charge being fundamental forces, is science more comfortable in explaining one of them compared to other?

I see some threads here wondering what exactly the mechanism of gravity is. I too wonder about that.

But I did not see anyone asking the same about electric charge. Does it mean that science has a better understanding about the mechanism of charge?
The fact that you see more threads about the nature of gravity means more people find gravity mysterious, but it doesn't necessarily mean that to the scientific community gravity is the more problematic.
 
  • #5
The reason that gravity might be considered "more mysterious" is that the gravitational coupling constant is so much lower than the fine structure constant, so it is harder to investigate experimentally.
 
  • #6
mathman said:
Electromagnetic force is mediated by photons. The theory (quantum electrodynamics) has been thoroughly worked out.

.

Electromagnetic theory makes certain assumptions about the cause just as gravitational fields are useful for visualizing - but like gravity. the measured forces are not directly calcuted from any model - only the coeficiants of the underlying Dyson equation of real 0
fficients
 
  • #7
The classical theory of gravity (GR) is non-linear, while the classical theory of E&M (Maxwell's equations) is linear, so there's that added complication for gravity...
 
  • #8
Thank you all for the valuable replies.
 

1. Is gravity stronger than charge?

Gravity and charge are fundamentally different forces, so it is difficult to compare their strength. Gravity is a long-range force that affects all objects with mass, while charge is a short-range force that only affects objects with electric charge. In terms of strength, gravity is much weaker than charge at the atomic and subatomic level, but it becomes dominant at larger scales due to its long-range nature.

2. Why is gravity a bigger mystery than charge?

Gravity is considered a bigger mystery than charge because it is not well-understood at a fundamental level. While charge can be explained by the Standard Model of particle physics, gravity does not fit into this framework and scientists are still searching for a unified theory that can fully explain it. Additionally, gravity's effects on the universe are much more vast and complex than those of charge, making it a more challenging mystery to solve.

3. Can gravity and charge be unified?

There have been numerous attempts to unify gravity and charge, such as through theories like string theory and loop quantum gravity. However, a complete and consistent theory of quantum gravity has yet to be developed, so it is still unknown if gravity and charge can truly be unified.

4. How does gravity affect particles with charge?

Gravity and charge are both fundamental forces, so they can both affect particles simultaneously. Gravity can cause objects with charge to attract or repel each other, depending on the charges involved. However, at the atomic and subatomic level, the effects of gravity are negligible compared to those of charge.

5. Is gravity responsible for the formation of galaxies and other large structures in the universe?

Yes, gravity plays a crucial role in the formation of galaxies and other large structures in the universe. In fact, it is the dominant force at the cosmic scale, shaping the structure and evolution of the universe. The gravitational interactions between matter and dark matter are responsible for the formation of large-scale structures like galaxy clusters and superclusters.

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