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Brooksie
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Hello
I passed O level Physics in 1983 and loved it but went down the arts route. Over the last 5 years or so I re-kindled my interest and have been reading a lot e.g. Hawkings, Al Khalili, Rovelli etc. I am still struggling with various things that relativity throws up. For example I understand that gravity is not actually a force of attraction and that a body's natural state is to fall unless a force is exerted upon it (Newton - I understand this). Apparently therefore we are held on Earth not by the gravity pulling us down but by the Earth's thrust towards us. I understand that acceleration and gravity are interchangeable, however if I am being held down here in the UK because of the Earth's acceleration underneath me, how come someone on the other side of the Earth is also held here, should they not fly off? Is it some type of force of attraction also being in operation as well or the revolution of Earth holding everyone down?
I passed O level Physics in 1983 and loved it but went down the arts route. Over the last 5 years or so I re-kindled my interest and have been reading a lot e.g. Hawkings, Al Khalili, Rovelli etc. I am still struggling with various things that relativity throws up. For example I understand that gravity is not actually a force of attraction and that a body's natural state is to fall unless a force is exerted upon it (Newton - I understand this). Apparently therefore we are held on Earth not by the gravity pulling us down but by the Earth's thrust towards us. I understand that acceleration and gravity are interchangeable, however if I am being held down here in the UK because of the Earth's acceleration underneath me, how come someone on the other side of the Earth is also held here, should they not fly off? Is it some type of force of attraction also being in operation as well or the revolution of Earth holding everyone down?
