Gravitational Force and Light: Is There a Connection?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between gravitational force and light, specifically addressing the bending of light near massive objects like stars and black holes. It clarifies that while photons possess zero mass, they are still influenced by gravitational fields, a concept rooted in Einstein's theory of general relativity (GR). Unlike Newtonian mechanics, which inadequately describes light's behavior in gravitational fields, GR posits that gravity is not a force but a curvature of spacetime, allowing massless photons to follow curved paths in a gravitational field.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Einstein's theory of general relativity
  • Familiarity with Newtonian mechanics and its limitations
  • Basic knowledge of the properties of photons and mass
  • Concept of spacetime curvature
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Einstein's general relativity and its implications for light behavior
  • Explore the concept of spacetime and how it relates to gravity
  • Investigate the differences between Newtonian mechanics and general relativity
  • Learn about gravitational lensing and its observational evidence
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of gravity and light interaction.

marz
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Hello,
We know that light get bent near stars (because of its gravitational force), and in fact it cannot escape the gravitational forces of black holes.

We also know from Newton's laws of gravity that the gravitational attraction between any two objects is ZERO if any mass is ZERO.

We also know that photons (light) have ZERO mass.
So, if light has no mass, then why is it affected by any gravitational force ?
Am I missing something ?
Thanks.
 
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marz said:
Am I missing something ?
Only Einstein's theory of general relativity :wink:
 
Even in Newtonian mechanics, light was expected to be affected by gravitational fields. While there is no force, no force is necessary to accelerate an object with no mass. The idea in Newtonian mechanics would be to take ##mg = ma## and taking the limit ##m\to 0## would still give ##a = g##.

Now, Newtonian mechanics does not describe the bending of light appropriately and quantitatively, you need general relativity for that. In GR, mass is not the source of gravity and gravity is not even a force, so you should not have any expectation of gravity based on masses.
 

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