Measuring a change in gravity - thought experiment question

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of measuring a change in gravity through a thought experiment involving a mass suspended from a ceiling and the insertion of various materials to see if they can "block" gravity. Participants explore the implications of such an experiment and reference related phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a thought experiment involving a mass hanging from a ceiling with a scale, questioning if different materials placed between the mass and the floor could block gravity and affect the scale reading.
  • Another participant suggests that inserting a blade would introduce a new source of gravity, potentially complicating the experiment.
  • Some participants reference solar and lunar eclipses to illustrate that gravity from the Sun is not blocked by the Moon, raising questions about the nature of gravitational interactions.
  • A participant mentions a Wikipedia article on gravitational shielding, noting that the concept may attract fringe theories.
  • There is a discussion about the practicality of using scales with different materials and the ambiguity regarding the specifics of the experimental setup.
  • One participant introduces the term "gravimetry" as a related field of study.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility and implications of the proposed experiment, with no consensus on whether materials can block gravity or how such an experiment would be conducted.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of gravity and the effects of materials are not fully explored, and there is a lack of clarity regarding the experimental conditions and definitions used in the discussion.

brajesh
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TL;DR
Has anyone tried to measure a change in gravity?
Imagine I hang a mass from the ceiling of a building using a rope.
The mass is hanging 2m above the floor.

Also tied "in line" with this rope, and between the weight and the ceiling, is a scale that measures the weight of the mass.
Let's say the scale reads 10 Newtons.

Now, between the weight and the floor, I insert blades of different materials, in an effort to "block" gravity.
Maybe a blade of lead, or gold, or diamonds, or glass etc.

Has anyone tried experiments like these, to see if some materials can "block" gravity between the Earth and the mass, and notice any change in the hanging scale?
 
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I don’t know such experiments have been done but I assume the blade would become new additional gravity source to attract the device.
 
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brajesh said:
Summary:: Has anyone tried to measure a change in gravity?

Imagine I hang a mass from the ceiling of a building using a rope.
The mass is hanging 2m above the floor.

Also tied "in line" with this rope, and between the weight and the ceiling, is a scale that measures the weight of the mass.
Let's say the scale reads 10 Newtons.

Now, between the weight and the floor, I insert blades of different materials, in an effort to "block" gravity.
Maybe a blade of lead, or gold, or diamonds, or glass etc.

Has anyone tried experiments like these, to see if some materials can "block" gravity between the Earth and the mass, and notice any change in the hanging scale?
During a solar eclipse, the gravity of the Sun isn't blocked by the Moon!
 
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PeroK said:
During a solar eclipse, the gravity of the Sun isn't blocked by the Moon!
Lunar eclipse is an even better example because the entire Moon is in the Earth's total shadow (umbra).
 
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brajesh said:
Summary:: Has anyone tried to measure a change in gravity?
The wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_shielding and its references covers much of what’s been considered. Be aware that the concept is something of a crackpot magnet.
 
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Crackpot magnet? Or crackpot mu metal?
 
brajesh said:
Imagine I hang a mass from the ceiling of a building using a rope.
The mass is hanging 2m above the floor...

Has anyone tried experiments like these, to see if some materials can "block" gravity between the Earth and the mass, and notice any change in the hanging scale?
A building? Floor? Which floor? What building? Yes, of course people use scales all the time with different materials/amounts between them and Earth.
 

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