# Gravitational Effect

1. Aug 20, 2015

### Einstein's Cat

If there are two masses with the gravitational effect of (say) N and there are two larger masses which are wider apart but with the same gravitational effect of N; is the gravitational effect between the two larger bodies (that are further apart) greater due to the increased distance between them?

2. Aug 20, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

What do you mean by "gravitational effect"? Do you mean the gravitational force between the two masses?

3. Aug 20, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

By "gravitational effect" do you mean the force between them? If so (and it's hard to imagine what else you might mean), you can calculate it directly from Newton's $F=Gm_1m_2/r^2$. It should be clear from inspection that increasing the distance weakens the force and increasing one or both masses strengthens it. Which effect dominates in any particular situation depends on how you choose the masses and the distances.

4. Aug 20, 2015

Staff Emeritus

5. Aug 20, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

I agree. I changed the name of the thread to "gravitational effect"

6. Aug 21, 2015

### Einstein's Cat

The reason I labeled it "Gravitational Paradox" is because I've developed a paradox of gravity that would either compromise Newton's universal law of gravitation or if not Einstein's special theory of relativity. The question I asked was to hopefully undermine the paradox

7. Aug 21, 2015

Staff Emeritus
1. PF is not for development of personal theories.
2. It has been known since 1905 that Newtonian gravity and SR were incompatible.
3. Finding "paradoxes" before understanding the theory is somewhere between useless and impossible. Concentrate on learning the theories first.

8. Aug 23, 2015

### Gaz

How can you have larger masses with the same gravitational force? If there mass is greater there gravity is also greater.

Gravity decreases with distance (double the distance quarter the force) so no there larger mass will create more gravitational force at the same distance.

Do you mean at a greater distance from say a object centred between them? If so then the larger masses would have to be at a greater distance from the centre to have a equal gravitational force. If they were four time the mass of the smaller masses they would have to be double the distance away.