Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothesis that gravity may be analogous to the electrostatic force. Participants explore the implications of this idea, questioning its validity and comparing the fundamental differences between gravitational and electrostatic interactions. The conversation touches on theoretical aspects and critiques of non-mainstream theories.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant finds the hypothesis interesting and suggests it has enormous implications if true.
  • Another participant asserts that the sources of electrostatic fields (charge distributions) differ fundamentally from those of gravitational fields (mass distributions), highlighting that like-sign charges repel while masses attract.
  • A later reply emphasizes that the electromagnetic field is described by a massless vector field, whereas gravitation is described by a second-rank tensor field, which contributes to the differences in behavior between the two forces.
  • One participant challenges the validity of the hypothesis by stating that electrostatic interactions cannot explain the dynamics of the solar system, arguing that for planets to be attracted to the sun, they would need to repel each other.
  • Another participant references a paper that claims "Quarks Do Not Exist" and critiques its scientific rigor, suggesting it is part of a broader trend of non-mainstream theories.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the paper's claims and the scientific merit of the arguments presented.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the validity of the hypothesis that gravity is akin to the electrostatic force. Multiple competing views remain, with some defending mainstream scientific understanding and others entertaining the hypothesis.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the discussion involves non-mainstream theories and the challenges associated with them, including the need for references to be consistent with mainstream scientific literature. There are unresolved assumptions regarding the implications of the proposed hypothesis.

TruthSeeker777
Messages
15
Reaction score
3
TL;DR
Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?
I read this paper and this is iindeed a very interesting hypothesis. The implications of this theory if true are enormous! Please comment!

Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?
<crackpot link deleted>
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Haha
  • Sad
  • Skeptical
Likes   Reactions: PeroK, weirdoguy, malawi_glenn and 1 other person
Physics news on Phys.org
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/physics-forums-global-guidelines.414380/

Non-mainstream theories:
Generally, in the forums we do not allow the following:
  • Discussion of theories that appear only on personal websites, self-published books, etc.
  • Challenges to mainstream theories (relativity, the Big Bang, etc.) that go beyond current professional discussion
  • Attempts to promote or resuscitate theories that have been discredited or superseded (e.g. Lorentz ether theory); this does not exclude discussion of those theories in a purely historical context
  • Personal theories or speculations that go beyond or counter to generally accepted science
  • Mixing science and religion, e.g. using religious doctrines in support of scientific arguments or vice versa.
  • Philosophical discussions are permitted only at the discretion of the mentors and may be deleted or closed without warning or appeal

Links to websites that fall in the categories listed above will be removed.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dextercioby, PeroK and Vanadium 50
And just before this thread gets sent to the PF black hole:

No.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman and vanhees71
TruthSeeker777 said:
Summary: Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?

I read this paper and this is iindeed a very interesting hypothesis. The implications of this theory if true are enormous! Please comment!

Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?
<crackpot link deleted>

It's pretty easy to disprove this idea, even on the level of Newtonian gravity: First of all the sources of the electrostatic field are charge distributions at rest, those of the gravitational field are mass distributions, and in electrostatics like-sign charges repell, while the always positive (i.e., like-sign) masses attract each other.

The deeper reason comes of course from relativity, where the electromagnetic field is described by a massless vector field and that of gravitation as a 2nd-rank tensor field. This alone already explains the repulsive-versus-attractive issue.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
His paper "Quarks Do Not Exist Everything is made up of only positrons and electrons" is a classic
 
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: dextercioby
Orodruin said:
And just before this thread gets sent to the PF black hole:

No.
But it was formatted like a scientific paper and published by some blokes' organisation 'friendly to the idea of criticizing Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity', and it describes quality high-precision experiments such as 'the comb attracts my hair' and 'feels like is should work'!

vanhees71 said:
First of all the sources of the electrostatic field are charge distributions at rest, those of the gravitational field are mass distributions, and in electrostatics like-sign charges repell, while the always positive (i.e., like-sign) masses attract each other.
Have you not read the paper?! (don't answer that) It includes a direct refutation of this spurious argument - namely: I rub my comb and it attracts my hair even though I never rubbed my hair (or was it straw?), so why not planets and stars too?
 
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: berkeman, dextercioby and malawi_glenn
TruthSeeker777 said:
Summary: Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?

I read this paper and this is iindeed a very interesting hypothesis. The implications of this theory if true are enormous! Please comment!

Is Gravity Just the Electrostatic Force?
<crackpot link deleted>
This thread is closed. We do not discuss crackpot papers here. References must be consistent with the mainstream professional scientific literature.

FYI, electrostatic interactions cannot even explain the solar system. For all the planets to be attracted to the sun they would have to repel each other. There can be a torque on a neutral object, but not a net force, so the neutral attraction argument is wrong. This has all been understood for about two centuries now.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: PeterDonis, malawi_glenn and vanhees71

Similar threads

  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
879
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 88 ·
3
Replies
88
Views
7K
  • · Replies 62 ·
3
Replies
62
Views
8K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 67 ·
3
Replies
67
Views
6K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K