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Jacinta
- 22
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Don't we, as people on Earth, react to Earth the same way as paperclips are attracted to magnets? Why is "gravity" not magnetism?
jedishrfu said:Gravity holds us to the ground.
Because gravity behaves differently than magnetism does in many ways. For example, the North poles of two magnets will repel each other, while there is no equivalent repulsion effect with gravity. Another example. with magnetism, the strength of the attraction or repulsion depends on the materials involved. Some materials respond strongly while others not at all. With gravity, it doesn't matter what something is made of, it responds to gravity in exactly the same way. To put it another way. If the attraction of object to the Earth were due to magnetism, it would be possible to have objects of the same mass fall at different speeds just by making them from different substances.( in fact, since there are materials that are actually repelled by magnetic fields, you could have objects that "fall" upwards when.)Jacinta said:But magnetism as a force attracts certain objects to one another, like paperclips to magnets, like people to Earth. Why do we need a separate definition for Gravity?
Jacinta said:But magnetism as a force attracts certain objects to one another, like paperclips to magnets, like people to Earth. Why do we need a separate definition for Gravity?
Earth's magnetism and gravity are both forces that exist on Earth, but they have different effects. Magnetism is the force that causes objects with magnetic properties to attract or repel each other, while gravity is the force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. Magnetism is a much weaker force compared to gravity, but it has a stronger effect on objects that have magnetic properties.
The Earth's magnetic field is generated by the flow of molten iron in its core. This magnetic field acts as a shield, protecting the planet from harmful solar radiation and cosmic rays. It also plays a crucial role in navigation, as it helps animals like birds and sea turtles to navigate and humans to determine direction using a compass.
Yes, Earth's magnetic field is not constant and has been changing over time. This change is known as the Earth's magnetic field reversal, where the north and south magnetic poles switch places. These reversals have occurred throughout Earth's history, with the last one occurring about 780,000 years ago.
The Sun plays a significant role in Earth's magnetism. The Sun's solar winds interact with Earth's magnetic field, causing changes in its shape and strength. This interaction can also cause geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt communication systems and power grids on Earth.
Scientists use a variety of methods to study Earth's magnetism, including satellite measurements, ground-based monitoring, and paleomagnetism. Paleomagnetism is the study of the Earth's magnetic field in the past, using rocks and sediments to determine the orientation and strength of the field at different points in Earth's history.