Earth vs Space: Is a Falling Ball PULL or PUSH?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the mechanics of a falling ball and the forces at play, specifically questioning whether the Earth pulls the ball or if space pushes it. In a vacuum, the ball is in free motion, while in the atmosphere, air resistance acts against its fall. According to general relativity, neither force is definitive; instead, mass alters the geometry of space-time, causing the ball's trajectory to curve rather than follow a straight line. The conversation emphasizes the complexity of gravitational interactions and the necessity of mathematical understanding to grasp these concepts fully.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of general relativity and its implications on gravity
  • Basic knowledge of physics, particularly Newtonian mechanics
  • Familiarity with the concept of free fall and air resistance
  • Mathematical skills to interpret physical theories
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of general relativity and its impact on gravitational theory
  • Explore the concept of free fall in different environments, including vacuum vs. atmospheric conditions
  • Learn about the mathematics behind gravitational interactions and space-time curvature
  • Investigate the role of air resistance in motion and its effects on falling objects
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators in the sciences, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of gravity and motion will benefit from this discussion.

Deepak K Kapur
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When a ball falls towards Earth, what is actually happenning...

Is the Earth PULLING the ball?
or
Is the space PUSHING the ball?

(Be assured that I can understand you. Before becoming a teacher of literature, I studied Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics upto graduation level. The previous thread was an attempt to find 'some reason in madness')
 
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Neither. In a vacuum, the ball is in free motion. If in the atmosphere, air is pushing it upward (slowing down its fall).
 
Deepak K Kapur said:
When a ball falls towards Earth, what is actually happenning...

Is the Earth PULLING the ball?
or
Is the space PUSHING the ball?
In general relativity, neither. The presence of mass changes the geometry of space-time so that the "natural" direction of travel is not a straight line but a curve.
Deepak K Kapur said:
(Be assured that I can understand you. Before becoming a teacher of literature, I studied Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics upto graduation level. The previous thread was an attempt to find 'some reason in madness')
Having skimmed your previous thread, I suspect that you will need to study a lot of maths to follow any answer much more in-depth than either mine or wabbit's.
 
You could say both, or anyone. But since we need to reason it out, we bring out a theory to explain force acting between two bodies due to their mass...and say that the Earth and the ball attract each other...We could even tweak the theory in some places and say that the space is pushing those two bodies toward each other.
 
Deepak K Kapur said:
When a ball falls towards Earth, what is actually happenning...

Depends on the definition of "actually". Physics can model this in different ways:

 
Thanks everybody.
 

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