- #1
jgravatt
The Earth has a gravitational pull that attracts things to it correct? If we launced a rocket from Earth and said rocket was
traveling from the ground to space at, oh let's say, 100 miles per hour (or kilometers - it really doesn't matter). Given the slow speed of the rocket, it would never leave orbit correct? If that is the case, can we say that the gravitational influence of the Earth negatively exceeds the speed of the rocket, or in other words, exceeds the speed of the rocket in the opposite direction? Obviously, the Earth's gravitational influence is not as great as something larger (such as the Sun) or something physically different (such as a black hole). Using the same idea, light being the rocket and a black hole being the Earth, can it be said that the black hole's gravitational influence negatively exceeds the velocity of light? I'm sure it's not that simple, but what I would like to know is if the speed of gravitational influence (given a large enough object) would be considered FTL?
Jeremy
traveling from the ground to space at, oh let's say, 100 miles per hour (or kilometers - it really doesn't matter). Given the slow speed of the rocket, it would never leave orbit correct? If that is the case, can we say that the gravitational influence of the Earth negatively exceeds the speed of the rocket, or in other words, exceeds the speed of the rocket in the opposite direction? Obviously, the Earth's gravitational influence is not as great as something larger (such as the Sun) or something physically different (such as a black hole). Using the same idea, light being the rocket and a black hole being the Earth, can it be said that the black hole's gravitational influence negatively exceeds the velocity of light? I'm sure it's not that simple, but what I would like to know is if the speed of gravitational influence (given a large enough object) would be considered FTL?
Jeremy