Undergrad Does Space Curvature Account for Gravity Between Individual Atoms?

[Martyn Arthur]

TL;DR

Gravity/space curvature in relation to the accretion of dust in the Solar System et al

I am trying to come to terms with the two concepts of gravity, direct attraction between bodies (say dust even) and attribution to the curvature of space (time)
Looking at a physical sea coast I can envisage how every instance of the mass gravitational interactions of individual atoms or smaller can be incorporated into the ebb and flow of the tide, albeit on a scale that I can't even start to envisage from such an observation.

Having regard to the way in which the curvature of space-time is attributed to the 'gravity' between 'massive' solar objects is space curvature deemed to account also for gravitational attraction twixt even individual atoms or smaller?

Thanks
Martyn

 

[phinds]

On the micro scale there are generally other forces that are WAY stronger such that gravity is irrelevant but gravity IS spacetime curvature so ANY time gravity comes into play it is spacetime curvature.

 

[Ibix]

Gravity is always spacetime curvature (not space curvature!) as it is currently modeled.

However, exactly how gravity works when the sources are small enough that quantum physics is important (such as an isolated atom) is not certain. General relativity can't do it and we don't yet have a working theory of quantum gravity. Depending on what that looks like, spacetime curvature may or may not turn out to be a useful model at that scale.