this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2024
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Science Memes

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we are but a gravy train in outer space (mander.xyz)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Gravity isn't a force tho...

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I put it in my force balance equations, it's a force. It doesn't matter that it's from curving spacetime rather than exchanging particles, it still exerts force on things.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

But the point of general relativity is that a free-floating observer is equivalent to an observer in free space. That means that falling due to gravity, which you call a force, is an unaccelerated movement, i.e. no force.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If I take a relativistic frame of reference. If I take an 'absolute' non moving frame of reference, gravity shows up as a force. I use the later for calculating loads and statics, even though it's technically not correct. And in that case gravity shows up as a force.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

I'm not trying to argue approximations. Physics is just approximations all the way down. But as a physicist, I also love arguing about technicalities, and that's also kinda the point of science communities for me.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Well, its a geometric deformation of space-time because the displacement by mass

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes it is. We just don't know what makes it work

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

In our current understanding of physics, it's an effect from the curvature of space and not a force. Quantizing gravity results in unphysical divergences. Whether there will be a way to model gravity as an exchange of particles, we can't know for sure. So according to our current knowledge, it's not a force.

[–] cynar 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is still not putting it in a fruit salad.

Gravity isn't a force. Its effects can be mapped to an equivalent pseudo force and used as such. Outside of general relativity, or Quantum mechanics discussions, gravity is a force.

[–] bwrsandman 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

But is it fundamental though?

[–] cynar 4 points 7 months ago

We don't know. Right now, relativity and QM fundamentally disagree on what gravity is. Both are also hugely accurate in their predictions. QM treats it as a force comparable to EM or the strong force. GR says it's space itself moving. The force we experience is just a reaction to us trying to stay still, as space moves through us.

Beyond that, defining anything as fundamental is a challenge. How are you using fundamental?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Depends on your definition. If you stop at quantum mechanics way of defining a force with boson exchange then you may also say gravity doesn't exist, because it's not included in the standard model for now.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Well, firstly, we can quantize gravity pretty easily, it just has unphysical divergences.

But secondly, I think it makes most sense to talk about the current accepted physics because we don't know how quantum gravity will work.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Don’t be saucy