A way to ripple the fabric of space?

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the concept of gravitational waves as ripples in the curvature of spacetime, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The user speculates about the effects of rapidly removing and reintroducing a massive object, such as a large star, on the fabric of space. The conversation clarifies that these ripples, or perturbations, are indeed what gravitational waves represent, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the curvature of spacetime rather than the "fabric of space" terminology.

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  • Familiarity with gravitational waves and their properties.
  • Knowledge of the concept of mass and its effect on spacetime curvature.
  • Basic principles of wave propagation in physics.
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So i was sitting in Algebra the other day, day-dreaming when i thought of something:

I know gravity exists because all objects have mass that bend space causing a trampoline effect and pull objects towards them. So, what happens if you have something that has extreme mass (say a large star) and make it disappear (yes, i know you cannot create/destroy matter, its an example.). It would then make the fabric of space stretch or "bungee" back to its original flat position. But what if you made it reappear shortly or immediatly after? and what if you did this rapidly? would it create a wave effect through the fabric of space or would it just snap back flat without any "hill"(~) effect? And if it does ripple space what would happen?

sorry if i explained that badly, iv never been good at explaining things.
 
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I am not positive, but it appears you are describing gravitational waves. Note there is no mention in the below descriptions of the term "fabric of space". Instead, find ripples or perturbations in the "curvature of spacetime".

“In physics, gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of spacetime which propagate as a wave, traveling outward from the source.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave“A gravitational-wave detector is any device designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of general relativity. Gravitational waves are perturbations in the curvature of spacetime caused by accelerated masses.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational-wave_detector
 

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