Gravity - Do atoms orbit humans ?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the misconception that atoms, such as air particles, orbit humans due to gravitational forces similar to how the Earth orbits the Sun. It is established that while gravity acts on all masses, the forces at play between a human body (approximately 100 kg) and an atom are negligible compared to electromagnetic forces. The gravitational force is weak and ineffective at small distances, making it impossible for atoms to orbit humans. Instead, objects of equal mass can orbit each other around their common center of mass, but this does not apply to the interaction between humans and atoms.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of gravitational force calculations
  • Basic knowledge of atomic mass and properties
  • Familiarity with electromagnetic forces
  • Concept of center of mass in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Calculate gravitational force between a human and an atom using Newton's law of gravitation
  • Explore the concept of orbital mechanics and how mass affects orbits
  • Research the differences between gravitational and electromagnetic forces
  • Study the behavior of particles in thermal motion and their interactions
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the fundamental forces that govern interactions at the atomic level.

DLeuPel
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If the Earth orbits the Sun due to the difference in their mass and their distance, then do atoms like air particles orbit humans due to the same reasons?
 
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What do you think and why?

A good starting point might be to calculate the gravitational force between a human body (maybe 100 kg) and an atom (google will find a reasonable value for the the mass of an atom) at a given distance. What orbital speed does that correspond to? How does it compare to the other forces acting on the atom?
 
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Nugatory said:
How does it compare to the other forces acting on the atom?
And how does it compare to the normal thermal range of speeds for the atom.
 
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A gravitational field does not produce a larger acceleration when acting on a very light object, unlike the electromagnetic force between objects of some given electric charge. I think this is the misconception in this case.
 
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DLeuPel said:
If the Earth orbits the Sun due to the difference in their mass and their distance, then do atoms like air particles orbit humans due to the same reasons?
Things don't orbit really large objects due to mass difference, they orbit them because gravity is a weak force that acts best at large distances where other forces don't interfere.

For example, you can get a spacecraft to orbit a mountain sized asteroid in space. But even ignoring Earth's gravity you couldn't get something to orbit a mountain on Earth because the orbit would be so slow that wind would disrupt it!

Note that objects of equal mass can orbit each other, so mass difference means nothing. For example, Jupiter's mass fraction of the sun is about the same as a golf ball vs you.
 
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DLeuPel said:
If the Earth orbits the Sun due to the difference in their mass and their distance,

They each orbit their common center of mass. Earth's orbit is indeed larger because of its smaller mass.

But that doesn't explain why there's an orbit to begin with.

then do atoms like air particles orbit humans due to the same reasons?

No, because there is no orbit to begin with.
 

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