What is the Law of Gravity and Why Do Masses Attract?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the nature of gravity, specifically what causes mass attraction and the underlying mechanisms of gravitational force. Participants explore theoretical explanations and the distinction between gravitational and nuclear forces, while also touching on philosophical implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that the force of gravitation is responsible for the attraction between bodies, describing it as a long-ranging force.
  • Others mention that for small mass particles, such as those in atomic nuclei, nuclear forces are relevant and are characterized as short-ranging forces.
  • There is a question regarding the fundamental nature of the gravitational force, with participants seeking to understand what gravity is and how it operates.
  • One participant suggests that while gravity can be described and predicted through theories like general relativity, the deeper question of why gravity works remains unanswered and leans into philosophical territory.
  • Another participant emphasizes that while gravity can be modeled effectively, the explanation of why mass curves space-time is not fully addressed by current theories.
  • A later post reiterates that masses attract according to the law of gravity, framing gravity as a force.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the explanation of gravity, with some focusing on its predictive power and others questioning the fundamental nature of the force. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the deeper understanding of why gravity operates as it does.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in current theories, particularly regarding the philosophical implications of why gravity works and the nature of mass attraction. There is an acknowledgment that while models exist, they do not fully address the foundational questions.

Bjarne
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What causes mass attraction?
Please expalin it so that its easy to understand?
 
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The force of gravitation causes attraction between the bodies. it is a long ranging force.
for small mass particles like nucleus in atom there is nuclear force which is helpful attraction between subatomic particles. THESE ARE SHORT RANGING FORCES.
 
sairajagopal said:
The force of gravitation causes attraction between the bodies. it is a long ranging force.
for small mass particles like nucleus in atom there is nuclear force which is helpful attraction between subatomic particles. THESE ARE SHORT RANGING FORCES.

But what is that force ?
How does it attrac?
 
Last edited:
Bjarne said:
But what is that force ?
How does it attrac?

It's called gravity. If you want to know how it works, pick up a book on general relativity. If you want to know anything beyond that, I recommend moving this to the philosophy section.
 
Nabeshin said:
It's called gravity. If you want to know how it works, pick up a book on general relativity. If you want to know anything beyond that, I recommend moving this to the philosophy section.

So what you are saying: we don't no except ist called gravity ?
 
Bjarne said:
So what you are saying: we don't no except ist called gravity ?

No... what I'm saying is we can describe very well with our theories how gravity works. We can make predictions about what will happen because of gravity. But we cannot really tell you why gravity works. Take for example the explanation of General Relativity that mass curves space-time, and objects simply follow geodesics in this curved space-time, resulting in what we traditionally think of as the gravitational force. Now this is a great model for predicting things, but it says nothing about why mass curves space-time. This is what I meant, because that question is more the subject of philosophy.
 
masses tend to attract as that is the law of gravity ,and gravity is aforce
 

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