Calculate Gravity of 3 kg Rock in Vacuum

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the gravitational force of a 3 kg rock in a perfect vacuum, specifically considering whether it can exert gravitational force on itself without the influence of other masses. Participants explore various aspects of gravitational theory, including Newton's law of universal gravitation and concepts from general relativity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how to calculate the gravitational force of a 3 kg rock in a vacuum, emphasizing that no other forces are applied.
  • Another participant argues that to calculate gravitational force, a second mass is necessary, referencing Newton's law of universal gravitation.
  • Some participants suggest that general relativity may allow for the calculation of gravitational effects without a second mass, though they express uncertainty about the theory.
  • There is a discussion about whether a mass can exert gravity on itself, with some participants asserting that gravity is fundamentally an attractive force acting on other masses.
  • One participant introduces the concept of "self gravity," while others challenge this idea, stating that a mass cannot exert gravitational force on itself.
  • Participants discuss the implications of gravitational fields and how they relate to the forces exerted on nearby masses.
  • Questions arise about the nature of gravitational force and whether it can be defined in terms of a single particle or mass.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether a mass can exert gravitational force on itself. Multiple competing views are presented regarding the necessity of a second mass for gravitational calculations and the interpretation of gravitational fields.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the definitions of gravitational force and field, as well as the assumptions underlying the calculations discussed. The conversation also touches on the complexities of gravitational interactions in different theoretical frameworks.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring gravitational theory, the implications of general relativity, and the foundational concepts of mass and force in physics.

qasrimoe
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i have a question how would you calculate the gravitational force of an object by it self in a perfect vacuum with no other forces applied to it . let s say the object is a 3 kg rock just siting in an empty space .
 
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Is this object in space? If this is on earth, friction and Earth's gravity would overcome this gravitational force...

Keep in mind the Earth is an object with a diameter of 12 800 km. If an object is sitting on the ground, it's gravitational force must overcome that initial force (to have any real attraction).

however the formula for universal gravitation is (Newton's law):

Fg = G((m1m2)/d^2)

where G is the constant: 6.67 x 10-11 N m^2/kg^2.

m1,m2 are masses, and d is diameter

So yes, you would need another object to compare to get a gravitational force
 
this object is in space by it self in space no forceses applied to it what so ever can we calculate it s garvitational force just by it s mass an diameter . thank you
 
Like the other poster had said, you would need a second mass to calculate the gravitational force exerted by the first mass using Newton's gravitational force equation. In the case of general relativity as it concerns gravity, I don't think it requires a second mass. So, using general relativity, you would be able to calculate the gravitational field(spatial distortion) of the mass in question. I'm not proficient at all with the theory though so I can't say much more than this.
 
qasrimoe said:
this object is in space by it self in space no forceses applied to it what so ever can we calculate it s garvitational force just by it s mass an diameter . thank you

Simple...
Standard gravitational acceleration formula:

g = Gm/R^2
 
Creator said:
Simple...
Standard gravitational acceleration formula:

g = Gm/R^2
Doesn't that formula imply a second body though? Usually, the R and m would be that of the Earth, not the mass in question.
 
thank you ,
 
artikk said:
Doesn't that formula imply a second body though? Usually, the R and m would be that of the Earth, not the mass in question.

Of course it does; how can you have a force on something that isn't there ? Duh?

..
 
the force of the body is appliad to the body it sellf
 
  • #10
i call it self gravity
 
  • #11
...:)
 
  • #12
consider the Earth in space and some how it endded up with no planets around it it still going to have a gravitational force any way it hase a mass = it has a gravitational force
 
  • #13
qasrimoe said:
i call it self gravity

Are you serious? That's impossible, I think. No mass can exert gravity on itself, just on other objects-it's fundamentally an attractive force. For a 3 kg mass, using just mechanics , any force that is exerted by this mass is exerted on the environment around the mass, not on the mass itself. A small correction would be that if you consider the first mass a collection of small masses that comprise the larger mass, then each small mass would exert a force on the other smaller masses. But I am beginning to diverge from the original problem. Anyway, if a second mass was nearby, the first mass would exert a grav. force on the second mass since that's considered part of the environment of the first mass. In turn, the second mass would exert an equal and opposite gravitational force on the first force. It's an action reaction pair of forces.
 
  • #14
qasrimoe said:
consider the Earth in space and some how it endded up with no planets around it it still going to have a gravitational force any way it hase a mass = it has a gravitational force
I think it would really have a gravitational field. Meaning any mass that comes in close contact with the planet, would experience gravitational attraction from the planet. However, a field is not a force. At this point, I think I better let a more eloquent physics poster explain how gravity works. :smile:
 
  • #15
Are you asking for the pressure at the center of a self-gravitating sphere? Or are you asking about the weight of a unit mass of the surface material, or what? You need to be a little more clear about what force you want to measure where.
 
  • #16
i got the ansewar for my question alerady thanks you
 
  • #17
So, out of curiosity, what was the question and what was the answer?
 
  • #18
artikk said:
Are you serious? That's impossible, I think. No mass can exert gravity on itself, just on other objects-it's fundamentally an attractive force. For a 3 kg mass, using just mechanics , any force that is exerted by this mass is exerted on the environment around the mass, not on the mass itself. A small correction would be that if you consider the first mass a collection of small masses that comprise the larger mass, then each small mass would exert a force on the other smaller masses. But I am beginning to diverge from the original problem. Anyway, if a second mass was nearby, the first mass would exert a grav. force on the second mass since that's considered part of the environment of the first mass. In turn, the second mass would exert an equal and opposite gravitational force on the first force. It's an action reaction pair of forces.
why not i think that s what makes matter have mass in the first place ; this just an idia proving it is some thing else
 
Last edited:
  • #19
the question now is can mass exert gravity on itself?
 
  • #21
yes but that s a colection of masses like you said earlier .
but in the other other hand every thing no matter how small it is is a colection of masses
 
  • #22
Again, what was the answer to your previous question?
 
  • #23
the only way to prove it is to find a thing made of one particlee
 
  • #24
g=gm/r^2
 
  • #25
qasrimoe said:
g=gm/r^2
That is not a force, but if you really wanted the gravitational field instead of the force then I am glad you got your answer.
 
  • #26
gravitational field apllyes force to other objectes ? so can find the force that way i think ?
 
  • #27
i have some questions in onother thread about BEC if you can discusse it with me that will be nice
 
  • #28
DaleSpam said:
That is not a force, but if you really wanted the gravitational field instead of the force then I am glad you got your answer.

i have some questions in onother thread about BEC if you can discusse it with me that will be nice
 
  • #29
My knowledge of BEC is superficial. I would not want to contribute my necessarily ignorant comments.
 
  • #30
DaleSpam said:
My knowledge of BEC is superficial. I would not want to contribute my necessarily ignorant comments.

mine as well but it does not hurt to exchange idias ; the scall of knowledge does not go down no matter how little you know about something it only goes up :)
 

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