Uniform Circular Motion & Gravity: A Connection?

[Neosym87]

Is it just me, or is there a huge connection between Uniform Circular Motion and Gravity?

A body of mass caught in uniform circular motion exerts a constant centripetal accelerating force, does it not? I don't know if it's just me, but that sounds like the exact description of gravity. So, I suppose, my proposition is, Is gravity created( so to speak ) when a large body of mass begins to rotate at a certain high speed or velocity?

 

[Pengwuino]

No, objects that do not even move have a gravitational force associated with them. Also, a mass in orbit is accelerating outwards as opposed to gravity pulling things towards the mass.

 

[Cyrus]

Do not confuse acceleration with gravitational acceleration . Bodies have mass and it is this mass that causes an attractive force between two objects. This attractive force, due to mass, is responsible for gravitational acceleration.

In your circular motion example, it is the motion of the object that causes a centripital acceleration. It does not have to do with the attraction between two masses, it is a result of the tangential velocity vector of the swinging mass changing direction; therefore, it is not gravity.

 

[russ_watters]

Your gravity would go in the wrong direction.