Why does a body at rest move if Gravity is not a force?

I
Thread starter zoltrix
Start date Mar 25, 2022
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Body Force Gravity Rest

In summary, according to general relativity, gravitational force is not a real force but rather a result of the curvature of space-time. A body in motion follows an "invisible rail" while a body at rest cannot remain at rest relative to a large mass without an external force. This is explained by the principle of maximal proper time, which shows that an object cannot maximize its proper time by remaining at rest relative to a large mass. The body is at rest with respect to a free-falling observer, and proper acceleration is not relative and has nothing to do with relative motion. In short, all motion is relative in the context of general relativity.

Mar 27, 2022

PeterDonis

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zoltrix said:

experts should try to explain the "acceleration in a gravitational field with no force applied" using the language of RG which, at the end of the day, is the language of math
intuitive analogies are misleading

Some final words in response to the above: yes, intuitive analogies are misleading, that's why you shouldn't use them, you should use math. But everything you have said in this thread is intuitive analogies, all of them wrong. You need to take your own advice and stop doing that and learn the actual math. The reference I gave in my previous post would be a good start.

When you do learn the math, you will see why the phrase "acceleration in a gravitational field with no force applied" is just another intuitive analogy in vague ordinary language and should not be used.