Gravity towards Center of Mass?

Thread starter particlemania
Start date Apr 22, 2010
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Center Center of mass Gravity Mass

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Gravity does not always act from the center of mass for finite mass distributions, as this phenomenon is specific to spherical mass distributions. In non-spherical shapes, the gravitational force does not uniformly direct towards a single point. Instead, the gravitational field varies based on the distribution of mass. This means that the direction of gravitational attraction can differ depending on the object's shape. Understanding this distinction is crucial for accurately analyzing gravitational interactions in various contexts.

Apr 22, 2010

particlemania

Gravity towards Center of Mass??

Conceptual question:

Does gravity always act from the center of mass, regardless of shape of source of field, for finite mass distributions?

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Apr 22, 2010

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No. The opposite is the case: Gravity appears to be toward the center of mass from all directions only in the case of a spherical mass distributions.

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