How Do Classical and Modern Physics View Gravity?

[abejackson]

Homework Statement

Where does the gravity come from? Is it something impossible to answer?
Is there a difference between the classical mechanic's view on gravity and modern physics's view on it? If so how?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

As far as I know gravity is just there and we don't know why.

 

[GuitarStrings]

As far as I know gravity is just there and we don't know why.

Take my post with a grain of salt, I'm just a high school student.

To the extent of my knowledge, Classical Mechanics only quantifies gravity, and has no explanation as to the why and how.

General Relativity suggests that gravity is an effect of the curvature of spacetime around masses.

 

[PhanthomJay]

Take my post with a grain of salt, I'm just a high school student.

To the extent of my knowledge, Classical Mechanics only quantifies gravity, and has no explanation as to the why and how.

General Relativity suggests that gravity is an effect of the curvature of spacetime around masses.

Yes, that is more or less correct; unlike the classical theory, gravity is the curvature of spacetime in the presence of mass and energy, per Theory of General Relativity. But in either case, scientists do not yet know why, although there are complex equations that explain how. Gravity makes our Universe what it is. Someday, or maybe never, we may know why.

 

[gomunkul51]

@PhanthomJay and @abejackson: If you ask a scientific question you must be very precise about what you ask about. you can't just ask "why?" or say "we don't know why", it is meaningless. Think about, if you think it is nonsense we can talk about it.

In the classical mechanics view, "gravity" is created by chunks of mass and acts without direct contact on other chunks of mass.
In general relativity, "gravity" is basically the same thing but it is modeled by a field and very interesting geometry, which in turn give rise to connection of gravity, space, time and energy. does general relativity answers "why?", it does give a more precise description on gravity and shades light on it's deep connection with space-time but it is not what most people mean when they ask "why?" if fact it is very hard to tell what do they mean!
Another theory is gravitational quantum theory which, very simply put, says that gravity is a force that spreads and is inflicted by particles on other particles... does it answer "why?", or...