Gravity
is really an unknown force. We can define it as a field of influence, and that it effects the entire existence of the universe. Some people think that consists of particles called gravitons, which travel at the speed of light. The only thing we do know is how operates in different parts of our universe. Without , there would be no space and time.
There is a legend that says that Galileo once dropped two objects off the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show that the heavier of the two objects
dropped faster. If a feather and hammer were the two objects he used then obviously the hammer would hit the ground first. This is due to air resistance, which is the force air exerts on a moving object. ...
Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers
|
of the object. The larger the surface area of the object, the greater the amount of air resistance on it. This is why feathers, leaves, and sheets of paper fall more slowly than pennies, acorns, and crumpled balls of paper.
There is another legend that states that when Newton was lying against a tree in an orchard, he was struck on the head by an apple. He wondered what provided the acceleration for the apple to fall to the ground. Was this a force of the earth on the apple? If so, then the apple must exert a force on the earth according to Newton’s law of action/reaction forces.
Newton applied this theory unto the planets, which orbit the sun. He found by studying astronomical data, that the force that held the earth in orbit around the sun was the same force that drew the apple toward the earth. This was the
force of gravity that is given by this scary formula:
F = Gm1*Gm2
gravity _______
r^2
F equals the force in Newtons, G equals the gravitational ...
Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.
Already a member? Login
|
law, for a mass to be accelerating, it must have a resulting force acting upon it. The question is: Where does this force come?
The forces involved can be examined by considering what happens when the string breaks.
When the string breaks the mass is no longer constrained to travel in its circular orbit and moved off in the direction as shown. This indicates that there must be a force holding the mass in its circular orbit. It is directed towards the center of the circle and is called the centripetal force. The centripetal force has a resulting centripetal acceleration. The thing is, you can extend all of these concepts, and apply them onto the objects like the sun, moon, planets, ...
Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library.
Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports,
and research papers in 2 minutes or less.
|
CITE THIS PAGE:
Gravity. (2005, August 13). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Gravity/31602
"Gravity." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 13 Aug. 2005. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Gravity/31602>
"Gravity." Essayworld.com. August 13, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Gravity/31602.
"Gravity." Essayworld.com. August 13, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Gravity/31602.
|
Save
Report