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Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Gravity

While going through the motions of our day, we rarely think about the force that anchors us to the ground. Gravity is one of the most essential forces of nature that determines the structure of the universe and one of the most important factors that governs the motions of the planet. The way objects can interact with one another and our ability to move is influenced by gravity. This shows that the ever-present force is very important for the existence of mankind. Therefore, this article will explore some ten facts that the reader needs to know about gravity to give them a deeper insight into what this concept really is.

1 It is the weakest force known

Even though gravity is known as one of the most powerful forces as it is responsible for holding galaxies and planets together, the force is one of the weakest forces known to man. This can be attributed to the fact that the force only attracts and therefore, this means that it does not have the negative version of it which is responsible for pushing things apart. To get a clearer picture of how weak it is, we can take the example of putting a dime-sized magnet on the fridge and how it has enough electromagnetic force to overcome gravity.

2 The solar system would collapse without gravity

Gravity is the sole element holding the universe intact and without it, all components like the planets and moon would stop going around the sun and just drift away. The sun also depends on gravity in that without the force, there would be an explosion that would obliterate the universe in minutes. This is because the sun is usually under constant pressure and gravity compresses it to the core. Therefore, if there is no gravity, there will be no force that holds the pressure and thus result in the expulsion of hot gas that would destroy the solar system.

3 Objects that spin create artificial gravity

The outer walls of a spinning fair attraction create an inward centre-seeking force that keeps passengers rotating in a circle. Centripetal force is the name for this sense of steady momentum, which has a similar response to gravity. This is quite interesting in that one would not expect that artificial gravity can be created.

4 Tides in the sea are caused by gravity

It is quite surprising to learn that the tides that are experienced in seas and oceans are caused by gravity. This is because gravity is responsible for the pull that happens in the universe and when the moon pulls on earth, it results in the movement of water which is well known as tides. Furthermore, when the earth rotates, the water in the seas and oceans will pool in the side that is closer to the moon and therefore bringing in the concept of high and low tides.

5 Gravity is able to bend light

When there is a lot of stuff between a light source and the Earth, the light’s path curves as it approaches us, producing streaks, numerous pictures, or even the entire Einstein Ring. Due to the impact mass has on the universe’s fabric, this phenomenon is known as gravitational lensing.

Similar to bowling balls resting on a sheet of rubber, Einstein said that gravity is caused by large objects stretching the fabric of space-time. Light is forced to travel through curves as it passes by a large object, which bends its course.

6 Dark energy opposes gravity

The universe cannot be held together forever by the force of gravity. Since the Big Bang, the entire universe has been expanding, with so-called dark energy battling against gravity’s pull. The expansion of the universe is assumed to be accelerated by dark energy, which prevents gravity from drawing everything back together. Gravity is only powerful over short distances.

7 A person’s weight varies on different planets

Gravity is different on each planet. This is attributed to the fact that the planets have different gravitational pulls and different masses and therefore a person who weighs 100 pounds on earth will have varying weights on each planet because of the difference in the masses and gravitational pull.

8 There are bacteria that grow in microgravity

In comparison to similar germs cultivated on Earth, bacterial colonies developed aboard a NASA space shuttle exhibited substantially different behaviour. They gradually evolved into shapes never before seen on the ground and survived in considerably higher densities. Recognizing these alterations might aid in safeguarding astronauts against harmful bacterial biofilms during prolonged space travel.

9 Gravity is not even

Gravity is not wholly even on earth. This is because the planet is not a perfect sphere and therefore, the mass is not well distributed. When the mass is not evenly distributed, it results in uneven gravity. One place that showed the discrepancy of gravity is Hudson Bay in Canada where a low gravity compared to other regions is experienced. The discrepancy is attributed to the ice that covered the area during the ice age in that after it melted, the earth has not fixed itself from the burden and thus the deformation resulted in low gravity.

10 Gravity is carried by gravitons

In the Standard Model, force-carrying particles are the means by which particles communicate with one another. The electromagnetic force, for instance, is carried by the photon. That gives us some ideas about how gravitons, the hypothetical particles for quantum gravity, might operate from the concept of general relativity.

Check out this article on the 15 facts about black holes here