Gravitational Force (F) Undefined: What Does it Mean?

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In summary, Newton's law of universal gravitation states that the force between two massive objects is equal to the product of their masses divided by the square of the distance between them. However, if the distance between the objects is zero, the force becomes undefined. This is due to the fact that point masses do not exist in the real world and taking r=0 would mean that two objects are occupying the same location, which is impossible. Additionally, quantum and relativistic effects also come into play at extremely small distances, making the concept of point masses invalid. Therefore, it is important to consider the size and nature of the objects when applying Newton's law of gravitation.
  • #1
Einstein's Cat
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Newton's law of universal equation is equal to:

F= G (m1 * m2)\ r squared

However if r = 0, then F is undefined. What does it please mean if gravitational force (F) is undefined?
 
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  • #2
It can't be 0. That would mean that two objects will be in the same place. Also because of strong force.
 
  • #3
Einstein's Cat said:
However if r = 0, then F is undefined. What does it please mean if gravitational force (F) is undefined?

It means that the equation you're using doesn't apply under the conditions in which you're trying to use it. When this happens, you have to look at the problem and understand why. In this case there are at least two (mutually consistent) explanations for what's going on:
1) There are no ideal point masses in the real world, so Newton's law is properly understood as being about the centers of gravity of real objects with non-zero size. In that case the centers of gravity are always separated by some non-zero amount, ##r## is never zero, and the infinity that you're getting when you plug ##r=0## into the equation is natures way of telling you that you're making a mistake.
2) Quantum-mechanical and general-relativistic effects come into play at extremely small distances, and Newton's law doesn't allow for these.

There's more real understanding in #1 than in #2, but there's no contradiction between them.
 
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  • #4
Gravitational force is the force between two massive objects. Taking r= 0 means that two massive objects would be occupying the same location which is impossible.
 
  • #5
HallsofIvy said:
Gravitational force is the force between two massive objects. Taking r= 0 means that two massive objects would be occupying the same location which is impossible.

It is impossible for fermions but not for bosons (not to speak about dark matter). As already mentioned by Nugatory the real problem is the size. There are no point masses in reality.
 
  • #6
DrStupid said:
It is impossible for fermions but not for bosons (not to speak about dark matter).
If you want to add quantum mechanics: the probability to find two particles at exactly the same spot is zero, and the expectation value for the potential energy is zero for every physical continuous distribution for the relative position. This is true for both fermions and bosons, it does not depend on the spin.
 
  • #7
Now is the time to change from B to A.
 
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1. What exactly is "Gravitational Force (F) Undefined"?

"Gravitational Force (F) Undefined" refers to the situation where the value of gravitational force cannot be calculated or determined. This can occur when the distance between two objects is infinite or when one of the objects does not have a measurable mass.

2. How is gravitational force usually defined?

Gravitational force is usually defined as the force of attraction between two objects with mass. It is proportional to the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

3. Is gravitational force always undefined when the distance between objects is infinite?

No, gravitational force can only be considered undefined if the distance between objects is infinite and one or both of the objects do not have a measurable mass. If both objects have mass, the gravitational force can still be calculated using an approximation formula.

4. Can gravitational force ever be completely absent?

No, gravitational force is a fundamental force of nature and is always present between objects with mass. However, the strength of the force can vary depending on the masses and distance between the objects.

5. How does the concept of "undefined" affect our understanding of gravitational force?

The concept of "undefined" can help us understand that there are certain scenarios where the value of gravitational force cannot be determined. This can be useful in theoretical physics and can also help us better understand the limitations of our current understanding of gravity.

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