Gravity. Is it pulling us, or pushing us?
Forums › General Discussion › Gravity. Is it pulling us, or pushing us?-
So I grew up just knowing gravity pulled me towards the ground. Common knowledge. Then I learn it's because the earth's mass causes the gravitational force to pull me, and all things, towards the earth's center. Never really gave it much thought.
But why haven't I? How do I know mass is what causes gravity, and not the energy or dark matter in the cosmos actually pushing me towards the center of mass due to a force I'm not currently aware of?
Does anyone know why gravity pulls us for sure? Or has anyone else ever considered we are actually being pushed?
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Matter with mass attracts. You are pulling your share, too!
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(I.E. you suck.)
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Perhaps. But why wouldn't it push towards matter with mass? Like a rock in a glass of water. The water isn't pulled towards the rock. The water surrounds and pushes towards the rock.
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The answer is quite obvious, and explained very simply here:
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqpx3lqX4u1qd9llgo1_500.jpg
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I'm asking if anyone is absolutely sure. Not what others have said gravity is.
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Well that might be a bit of an extreme question actually. Has anyone ever stumbled upon compelling points as to both sides of what I'm talking about?
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Gravity!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIJHBHM3Sy4
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I heard a pushing not pulling argument years ago. But can't remember any details. It was quite convincing though.
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It's semantics to be honest. The force is an attraction between two (or more) objects with mass. The only way we can define it is as a 'pulling' force as the objects 'pull' each other together.
Because a force is always associated with a direction the only way it can be described is as a 'pull', as the direction is always towards the centre of said mass.
You can't 'push' something towards you, you can only 'pull' it towards you, hence gravity being a 'pulling' force and why it's a semantic issue.
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You are, perhaps, thinking of electron repulsion. You are attracted (mutually with equal force) to other objects that have mass but the reason you don't just fall through them is that the objects you stand on or sit on--like the seat of a chair for example--have their electrons equally distributed across their molecules/atoms and they repel your electrons (due to the sameness of the charge in your electrons). You could say you're being pushed, I guess, but this is already an oversimplified explanation. Anyway, without that repulsion or equal distribution the thought is that you would not be able to sit on a chair without falling through unless, by chance, the electrons happened to be evenly distributed. But it isn't gravity or even closely related.
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Ever have physics class? No matter what the situation there are always forces in both directions. Take a book on a table. Gravity is pushing down on the book where the table is pushing up on the book. The fact that it is sitting still means its in equilibrium.
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Gravity is probably the effect of matter intruding on space-time.
Like a basketball on a linen sheet, only a 3 dimensional one.
But the argument for pushing is a bit silly. Dark matter (if it's real) or any matter for that matter in the universe doesnt seem to be constant and even, and that would mean that as the Earth rotated, gravity would fluctuate.
The water pressure on a rock in a glass is only a fluid acting in gravity, being pulled toward the mass of the Earth, (and moon, and Jupiter, and Sol...), and finding the lowest settling point. The rock has nothing to do with it, other than displacement...
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If gravity was pushing instead of pulling, the world we live in would not exist because matter would always expand instead of aggregating.
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mimosa wrote:
Why's that? Gravity if spreads evenly it would hold the planets together.If gravity was pushing instead of pulling, the world we live in would not exist because matter would always expand instead of aggregating.
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I just had a thought... What if black holes push matter towards a singular point with energy to create gravity...? And our gravity is created by matter's mass pulling to a point? Like gravity and anti gravity?
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Gravity is the attraction of matter. It is therefore a pull, because the force applies acceleration from a "forward" position.
This seems self evident. What are we talking about?
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₲rээƞℳɑƞ×℘ӈìℓɛ wrote:
Every time the Earth rotated away from this anti-gravity source, the change would fall up out our pockets.I just had a thought... What if black holes push matter towards a singular point with energy to create gravity...? And our gravity is created by matter's mass pulling to a point? Like gravity and anti gravity?
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bye🎵 wrote:
Thank youGravity is the attraction of matter. It is therefore a pull, because the force applies acceleration from a "forward" position.
This seems self evident. What are we talking about?
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It doesn't matter
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Galileo, Galileo
Galileo Figaro - Magnifico!
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Let me go! (will not let you go!)
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No no no no no no nooo!
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Nothing really matters... Tooo me... -
brain stomper wrote:
Oh. My. Dog.It doesn't matter
Something just hit me....
What if it anti-matters? -
Haha. This was fun for me.
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I suppose it all reall comes down to your deity. Is it dog or is it god? My theory is that they each have opposite gravitational forces. That's what keeps the universe from imploding/exploding.
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Tweek wrote:
Release the Kraken!!!I suppose it all reall comes down to your deity. Is it dog or is it god? My theory is that they each have opposite gravitational forces. That's what keeps the universe from imploding/exploding.
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Tweek wrote:
But the universe contracts and expands naturally. Every ten- fifteen trillion years or so.I suppose it all reall comes down to your deity. Is it dog or is it god? My theory is that they each have opposite gravitational forces. That's what keeps the universe from imploding/exploding.
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₲rээƞℳɑƞ×℘ӈìℓɛ wrote:
Psh. Not according to Dr. Hubble.Tweek wrote:
But the universe contracts and expands naturally. Every ten- fifteen trillion years or so.I suppose it all reall comes down to your deity. Is it dog or is it god? My theory is that they each have opposite gravitational forces. That's what keeps the universe from imploding/exploding.
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In the last decade, observations have shown that we live in an open universe, saddle-shaped, and hyperbolic. Expansion is accelerating.
I think in 10 to 15 trillion years, you will be dark, lonely, and frozen solid. As opposed to cramped, crunched, fused, and bangy.
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bye🎵 wrote:
Hubble shmubble.₲rээƞℳɑƞ×℘ӈìℓɛ wrote:
Psh. Not according to Dr. Hubble.Tweek wrote:
But the universe contracts and expands naturally. Every ten- fifteen trillion years or so.I suppose it all reall comes down to your deity. Is it dog or is it god? My theory is that they each have opposite gravitational forces. That's what keeps the universe from imploding/exploding.
Push, pull, up, down, strong, weak. Whatever. -
It does according to Dr. Mishio Kaku
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₲rээƞℳɑƞ×℘ӈìℓɛ wrote:
Mishio Krackpot and his Classes of Impossibilities.It does according to Dr. Mishio Kaku
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