Affect of gravity instant or not?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the impact of gravity on planets and whether its effects are instantaneous or have a speed. The hypothetical scenario of teleportation of mass and its gravitational effects is also considered. The conclusion is that gravity propagates at the speed of light and current observations suggest that it takes approximately 8 minutes for the effects of a sudden change in gravity, such as the sun disappearing, to be observed.
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Simulacrum
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I read an interesting article a couple of years ago, unfortunately I don't remember where. It had to do with the affect of Gravity on planets. We already know the speed of Light and that it takes so many minutes or hours for the light of a planet to reach us. I'd like to know if Gravity's affect is instantaneous or does it have a "speed" of some sort.
Here's a hypothetical situation: we've invented Teleportation of mass, we even built a machine big enough to teleport a moon. If you teleport something of that mass and it arrives instantaneously, does it's gravitational affect on nearby objects take a finite amount of time to happen or is it also instant?
 
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Gravity propagates at the speed of light.
 
  • #3
Not.

Under current observations, it would seem that the gravitational field propagates information at the speed of light. So if the Sun were to instantly disappear, it would take ~8mins for us to know.
 
  • #4
OK, thanks for the replay!
 

1. What is the difference between instant and non-instant gravity?

Instant gravity refers to the force of gravity acting immediately on an object, while non-instant gravity refers to the gradual pull of gravity over time. In other words, instant gravity is the initial force that causes an object to accelerate towards a larger mass, while non-instant gravity is the ongoing force that keeps an object in orbit.

2. Is gravity really an instant force?

It depends on the context. In general relativity, gravity is described as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. This means that the force of gravity is not truly instantaneous, but rather it takes some time for the effects to be felt. However, for most practical purposes, gravity can be considered an instant force since its effects are typically felt immediately.

3. How does gravity affect the movement of objects?

Gravity affects the movement of objects by exerting a force on them that causes them to accelerate towards a larger mass. This force is proportional to the mass of the objects and the distance between them, as described by Newton's law of universal gravitation. This means that the closer two objects are and the greater their masses, the stronger the force of gravity between them will be.

4. Can gravity be turned off or on?

No, gravity cannot be turned off or on. It is a fundamental force of nature that is always present. However, the strength of gravity can vary depending on the mass and distance of objects, as well as the effects of other forces such as electromagnetism and nuclear forces.

5. Does gravity have an effect on all objects?

Yes, gravity has an effect on all objects that have mass. This includes everything from tiny particles to massive planets and stars. The larger the mass of an object, the stronger the force of gravity it exerts on other objects. However, the effects of gravity can be negligible for very small objects, such as subatomic particles.

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