Does Gravity's Speed Affect Paper Falling During a Clap?

In summary, the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light, as predicted by Einstein. This means that it takes approximately 8 minutes for gravity from the center of the Earth to reach the surface. Therefore, attempting to complete a single "oscillation of clapping" before the gravity reaches the paper would not work, as the gravity has already reached the paper due to the curved space around it or the arrival of gravitons. The time delay of gravity only allows for the detection of changes in the local gravitational field.
  • #1
unscientific
1,734
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Greetings, I learned that the speed of gravity is the speed of light as einstein predicted that once the sun disappears, the Earth would not instantaneously fly out of its orbit but only after an approximate 8 mins then the Earth would spin out of its gravitational field tangent to the circle as it takes approximately 8 minutes for light from the sun to reach earth.

Ok imagine yourself on ground level on earth. Both of ur palms are together with a piece of paper in between. Logic tells us that the paper falls when both palms are seperate. My question is:

Since gravity travels at the speed of light, if we can complete a single " oscillation of ' clapping ' before the gravity from the centre of the Earth reaches the paper, would the paper even move (fall)? Though i know that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light..
 
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  • #2
before you start, gravity from the center of the Earth has already reached the paper... goodnight un'
 
  • #3
cesiumfrog said:
before you start, gravity from the center of the Earth has already reached the paper... goodnight un'

Yes, there's that. It also wouldn't work because the gravity from the Earth has already reached you. If you're talking about general relativity, the space around you is already curved according to the shape of the earth, and this will give the instantaneous appearance of a gravitational force. If you're talking about quantum physics, then gravitons that left the Earth earlier have already reached you, and so there's no time delay in feeling the gravitational force.

The time delay predicted by the finite speed of gravity will only allow you to detect changes in the local gravitational field.
 

Related to Does Gravity's Speed Affect Paper Falling During a Clap?

1. What is the speed of gravity?

The speed of gravity is the rate at which gravitational force propagates through space. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. However, this has not yet been directly measured and is still a topic of debate among scientists.

2. How does the speed of gravity compare to the speed of light?

As mentioned, the speed of gravity is currently believed to be equivalent to the speed of light. This means that both travel at the same rate through a vacuum, which is the fastest possible speed in the universe. However, some theories suggest that the speed of gravity may be slightly faster or slower than the speed of light, but this has not been confirmed.

3. Can the speed of gravity change?

Based on our current understanding of physics, the speed of gravity is considered to be a constant value. This means that it does not change under normal circumstances. However, there are some theories that suggest the speed of gravity may vary in extreme conditions, such as in the vicinity of a black hole.

4. How was the speed of gravity first calculated?

The concept of the speed of gravity was first proposed by Isaac Newton in his law of universal gravitation. However, it was not until Einstein's theory of general relativity that a mathematical equation was developed to calculate this speed. It is still a topic of ongoing research and there is no definitive answer yet.

5. Why is the speed of gravity important?

The speed of gravity is important because it helps us understand how gravitational force works in the universe. It also has implications for our understanding of space and time, as well as how objects interact with each other. Additionally, by studying the speed of gravity, we can gain a better understanding of the fundamental laws of nature and potentially make new discoveries in the field of physics.

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