Gravitational Force: What Keeps Two Bodies From Colliding?

In summary, two heavenly bodies are attracted to each other by gravitational pull, but their motion can be controlled by centripetal acceleration and the force exerted by the larger body, as seen in the relationship between the Earth and the Sun."
  • #1
RAHIL008
18
0
If two heavenly bodies are attracted towards each other by gravitational pull,
then what stops them from colliding, as in Earth is attracted by sun's pull.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
If you travel along a circle with a uniform speed, you must have an acceleration towards the center of the circle (centripetal acceleration). Every acceleration is caused by a force. So, if the force was exerted by the Sun to the Earth and the initial velocity of the Earth was perpendicular to their connecting line, then the Earth might revolve around the Sun in a circle. Even though it is accelerated, its speed does not change by magnitude and it always stays the same distance from the Sun.
 

Related to Gravitational Force: What Keeps Two Bodies From Colliding?

1. What is gravitational force?

Gravitational force is a fundamental force of nature that describes the attraction between two objects with mass. It is responsible for keeping two bodies from colliding, as well as the motion of planets around the sun and other celestial bodies in the universe.

2. How does gravitational force work?

Gravitational force is described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that the force of attraction between two objects is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In other words, the greater the mass of an object and the closer it is to another object, the stronger the gravitational force between them will be.

3. What keeps two bodies from colliding due to gravitational force?

The centripetal force of an object's orbit around another object is what keeps two bodies from colliding due to gravitational force. This force acts perpendicular to the object's velocity and constantly changes its direction, causing it to orbit around the other object instead of colliding with it.

4. How does the strength of gravitational force change with distance?

According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, the strength of gravitational force decreases as the distance between two objects increases. This is because the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects, meaning that as distance increases, the force decreases exponentially.

5. Can gravitational force be blocked or canceled?

No, gravitational force cannot be blocked or canceled. It is a fundamental force of nature that acts between all objects with mass. However, the effects of gravitational force can be counteracted by other forces, such as the centrifugal force of an object's motion or the force of an object's surface pushing against another object's surface.

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