Gravity: Not Proportional to Inverse Square?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the force of gravity and its relationship to distance, specifically addressing the traditional inverse square law versus potential modifications suggested by Einstein's General Relativity. The participant recalls a claim that gravity may be proportional to a factor of approximately 2.000006, but finds no supporting material. The equations provided illustrate the coordinate acceleration due to gravity in Schwarzschild coordinates and how local measurements differ from Newtonian predictions. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of understanding both classical and relativistic perspectives on gravity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
  • Familiarity with General Relativity concepts
  • Knowledge of Schwarzschild coordinates
  • Basic calculus for interpreting gravitational equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of General Relativity on gravitational force
  • Study the derivation of the Schwarzschild solution in General Relativity
  • Explore the differences between Newtonian and relativistic predictions of gravity
  • Investigate experimental evidence supporting or refuting modifications to the inverse square law
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of astrophysics, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of gravity and its mathematical formulations.

pantheid
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Hi, a long time ago, back in high school, I remember my teacher was explaining the force of gravity to us. He gave us the equation for the force of gravity, which was proportional to the inverse square of the distance. However, he later said that something about Einstein and other researchers had shown that it was actually proportional to something along the lines of 2.000006 (if memory serves), but I have not been able to find any such material online, and no other professor in college has even mentioned such a thing. Is my memory of the class faulty, is he mistaken, or is this some arcane knowledge that is interesting but unimportant?
 
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The coordinate acceleration due to gravity in Schwarzschild coordinates is:

##\frac{d^2r}{dt^2} = \frac{M}{r^2} \left(1-\frac{2GM}{rc^2}\right)##

The acceleration measured locally at r is:

##\frac{d^2r'}{d\tau^2} = \frac{M}{r^2} \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-\frac{2GM}{rc^2}}}##

I will leave it to you to substitute the mass and radius of the Earth for M and r and see how the Newtonian prediction differs from the GR prediction at the Earth's surface.
 

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