Does Gravity Expand and Collapse or is it Always Present?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of gravity, specifically whether it is always present or if it can expand and collapse over time. Participants explore the implications of gravity's behavior in hypothetical scenarios involving objects in space, such as apples and a planet.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if gravity is always existent or if it changes over time, particularly when new mass is introduced or removed.
  • Another participant states that gravity, according to Einstein's theory, travels at the speed of light, suggesting that changes in gravitational influence would propagate as ripples.
  • The same participant raises a conditional question about the immediate effects of removing a planet if the apples are on it, implying that the context matters for understanding gravity's behavior.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of gravity's presence and its propagation, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the behavior of gravity in hypothetical scenarios and the implications of Einstein's theory, but these assumptions are not universally accepted or resolved among participants.

Zeteg
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I'm aware that all matter generates their own Gravity, and thus everything is held together, for the Gravity part anyway. However, my question is: Is Gravity all existant, or does it expand/collapse at a rate?

To clairify my question a bit, I'll ask this. If we were 2 apples in space at quite a large distance apart, and we were to create a planet inbetween them, that had the gravity to pull the apples in, within a short time frame.
Now, is the Gravity instantly existent at the apples, when the planet is created, or does it take time for the Gravity to reach the apples?

Similarly, if we were to nullify the planet, would the gravity instantly dissapear, or would it gradually nullify?

Thanks =)
 
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Gravity, as proposed by Einstein, travels at the speed of light. Put a planet in betweent he apples, and the gravity will travel in ripples until reaching it's destination. If you remove the planet, I must ask the question, "Are the apples on the planet?" If so, then the affects of removing the planet will be immideately. Otherwise, it will take time to notice the change.
 
Ah, thank you :)
 
No problem, dude.
 

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