gravity

plexiglass · 02-17-2008, 04:26 AM

If gravity is a weak force how come it takes so much power to overcome it?

Chop79 · 02-17-2008, 04:59 AM

This sounds like an intro to a laffy taffy joke.

atr_hugo · 02-17-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plexiglass

If gravity is a weak force how come it takes so much power to overcome it?

"It's all relative", A. Einstein

mergen · 02-17-2008, 09:44 AM

We are on a REALLY big planet?

AwesomeBMW · 02-17-2008, 10:21 AM

Its a law/theory, and we know they never work right. Its sort of like the chance you are being watched is a direct correlation to the stupidity of your act. Its just that way. Sh!t happens

mikeo · 02-17-2008, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plexiglass

If gravity is a weak force how come it takes so much power to overcome it?

Gravity doesn't give up.

Think about it.

NJKSC27 · 02-17-2008, 11:22 AM

Oregon · 02-17-2008, 12:21 PM

atr_hugo · 02-17-2008, 12:28 PM

.

larryn · 02-17-2008, 12:33 PM

Yummy!!

atr_hugo · 02-17-2008, 12:35 PM

PrematureApex · 02-17-2008, 04:54 PM

Takes so much to overcome it?

Flip a coin in the air. Gravity defeated!

(who's describing it to you as a "weak" force? A wise poster in this thread said it best..."it's all relative")

mergen · 02-17-2008, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrematureApex

A wise poster in this thread said it best..."it's all relative")

That's why it's described as a weak force. It is weak, relative to the strong force that binds atoms together, hence the enormous energy released during an atomic explosion, when an atom is split. These forces are a function of mass of the objects. Comparing the mass of an atom to the mass of the planet, gravity is a relatively weak force, I think. I was reading about all of this on the internet one day, until my head started to hurt and I quit reading. I probably know less about all of this than I think I do.

"It's all relative."

Papethova · 02-18-2008, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrematureApex

Takes so much to overcome it?

Flip a coin in the air. Gravity defeated!

(who's describing it to you as a "weak" force? A wise poster in this thread said it best..."it's all relative")

Its not exactly defeated bc your coin comes back... to defeat gravity it would have to keep going.

PrematureApex · 02-18-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papethova

Its not exactly defeated bc your coin comes back... to defeat gravity it would have to keep going.

That doesn't make a lot of sense. So the only way to "defeat" gravity is to make it all the way to space? And not just into space, but far enough out of be out of any gravitational field.

A plane doesn't "defeat" gravity because eventually, it will run out of fuel, and "come back", wherein if it defeated it, it would just stay airborne indefinitely.

Papethova · 02-18-2008, 01:02 PM

Isnt it like being ahead in a tug of war and then ultimately losing?

Gravity wins in the end, how is it defeated?

I see your point, that you can counter gravity but you arent completely overcoming it. In fact the entire time the coin is heading up gravity is working on it to slow it down. So, technically you arent overcoming gravity once the coin is in the air.

E82tt6 · 02-18-2008, 05:09 PM

It takes less force to break the influence of a weak force than a strong one.

The amount of gravity generated by an object of a given mass (the curvature it generates in space/time), is significantly less than the potential kinetic, heat, or light energy that could be released by the sum strong atomic force of that same object.

The amount of energy released in a crude fission reaction by a given amount of fuel is MORE than enough to propel that an object with the mass of that fuel to escape velocity, for example.

PrematureApex · 02-18-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papethova

Isnt it like being ahead in a tug of war and then ultimately losing?

Gravity wins in the end, how is it defeated?

I see your point, that you can counter gravity but you arent completely overcoming it. In fact the entire time the coin is heading up gravity is working on it to slow it down. So, technically you arent overcoming gravity once the coin is in the air.

No, so long as the coin is still heading up, or even when its stopped, its technically defeating gravity. Force up>>>force of gravity....I'd call that "overcoming" it for sure.

I'm just looking at it from an instantaneous perspective, you're looking at it over a length of time...just different ways to look at it. Aren't armies described as "defeated" at individual battles, although the war isn't over?

I'm ok with "There is no defeating gravity, what goes up, must come down." But its not in the spirit of the OP, who asked why it was "so hard" to defeat, implying that it could indeed be defeated. Ahhh, who cares?

Papethova · 02-18-2008, 05:51 PM

I just realized this and came back to post, but you beat me to it.

02-17-2008, 04:26 AM	#1
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02-17-2008, 04:59 AM	#2
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02-17-2008, 10:21 AM	#5
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02-17-2008, 04:54 PM	#12
PrematureApex Colonel 849 Rep 2,411 Posts Drives: N55 X1, N54 135, s54 m3 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	Takes so much to overcome it? Flip a coin in the air. Gravity defeated! (who's describing it to you as a "weak" force? A wise poster in this thread said it best..."it's all relative")
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02-18-2008, 01:02 PM	#16
Papethova Banned 241 Rep 3,094 Posts Drives: '08 135/ '11 1M Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: at Death Valley 127 iTrader: (1)	Isnt it like being ahead in a tug of war and then ultimately losing? Gravity wins in the end, how is it defeated? I see your point, that you can counter gravity but you arent completely overcoming it. In fact the entire time the coin is heading up gravity is working on it to slow it down. So, technically you arent overcoming gravity once the coin is in the air.
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02-18-2008, 05:09 PM	#17
E82tt6 Colonel 109 Rep 2,626 Posts Drives: '08 Black Saphire Z4 MC Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (0)	It takes less force to break the influence of a weak force than a strong one. The amount of gravity generated by an object of a given mass (the curvature it generates in space/time), is significantly less than the potential kinetic, heat, or light energy that could be released by the sum strong atomic force of that same object. The amount of energy released in a crude fission reaction by a given amount of fuel is MORE than enough to propel that an object with the mass of that fuel to escape velocity, for example. __________________ '08 Black Saphire/Black Z4 M Coupe RIP Gretta: Blue Water/Lemon 135i. Died to save me. -ChuckV
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02-18-2008, 05:51 PM	#19
Papethova Banned 241 Rep 3,094 Posts Drives: '08 135/ '11 1M Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: at Death Valley 127 iTrader: (1)	I just realized this and came back to post, but you beat me to it.
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