Knowledge (XXG)

Gravitational field

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if it is held still with respect to the field. This is why a person will feel himself pulled down by the force of gravity while standing still on the Earth's surface. In general the gravitational fields predicted by general relativity differ in their effects only slightly from those predicted by
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These equations are dependent on the distribution of matter, stress and momentum in a region of space, unlike Newtonian gravity, which is depends on only the distribution of matter. The fields themselves in general relativity represent the curvature of spacetime. General relativity states that
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pointing directly towards the particle. The magnitude of the field at every point is calculated by applying the universal law, and represents the force per unit mass on any object at that point in space. Because the force field is conservative, there is a scalar potential energy per unit mass,
463:(equivalent to the inertial acceleration, so same mathematical form, but also defined as gravitational force per unit mass). The negative signs are inserted since the force acts antiparallel to the displacement. The equivalent field equation in terms of mass 221: 376:
is the radial vector of the test particle relative to the mass (or for Newton's second law of motion which is a time dependent function, a set of positions of test particles each occupying a particular point in space for the start of testing),
768:{\displaystyle \mathbf {g} =\sum _{i}\mathbf {g} _{i}={\frac {1}{m}}\sum _{i}\mathbf {F} _{i}=-G\sum _{i}m_{i}{\frac {\mathbf {R} -\mathbf {R} _{i}}{\left|\mathbf {R} -\mathbf {R} _{i}\right|^{3}}}=-\sum _{i}\nabla \Phi _{i},} 535: 161:
via their mass, and this distortion is what is perceived and measured as a "force". In such a model one states that matter moves in certain ways in response to the curvature of spacetime, and that there is either
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are three dimensional graphs commonly used to educationally illustrate gravitational potential by drawing gravitational potential fields as a gravitational topography, depicting the potentials as so-called
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of the fields around each individual particle. A test particle in such a field will experience a force that equals the vector sum of the forces that it would experience in these individual fields. This is
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Representation of the gravitational field of Earth and Moon combined (not to scale). Vector field (blue) and its associated scalar potential field (red). Point P between earth and moon is the
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for a test particle in the presence of a gravitational field, i.e. setting up and solving these equations allows the motion of a test mass to be determined and described.
343:{\displaystyle \mathbf {g} ={\frac {\mathbf {F} }{m}}={\frac {d^{2}\mathbf {R} }{dt^{2}}}=-GM{\frac {\mathbf {R} }{\left|\mathbf {R} \right|^{3}}}=-\nabla \Phi ,} 475: 1059: 186: 1377: 1352: 1323: 1297: 1261: 1233: 1203: 1176: 1149: 1118: 1011: 864: 852: 948: 924: 408:
This includes Newton's law of universal gravitation, and the relation between gravitational potential and field acceleration.
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used to explain the influences that a body extends into the space around itself. A gravitational field is used to explain
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In classical mechanics, a gravitational field is a physical quantity. A gravitational field can be defined using
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have usually been taught in terms of a field model, rather than a point attraction. It results from the
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A 'field' is any physical quantity which takes on different values at different points in space.
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Einstein's General Theory of Relativity: with Modern Applications in Cosmology
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In general relativity, the gravitational field is determined by solving the
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Gravity is distinguished from other forces by its obedience to the
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classical mechanics, but there are a number of easily verifiable
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is the sum of all gravitational fields due to all other masses
30:"Gravity field" redirects here. For Earth's gravity field, see 545:. Newton's law implies Gauss's law, but not vice versa; see 1198:(3 ed.). Springer Science & Business. p. 55. 138:, and since the 19th century, explanations for gravity in 851:
play the role of the gravitational force field and the
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Gravitational acceleration § General relativity
813:is the position vector of the gravitating particle 1368:Wheeler, J. A.; Misner, C.; Thorne, K. S. (1973). 1281: 889: 767: 564:The field around multiple particles is simply the 529: 342: 189:. Determined in this way, the gravitational field 890:{\displaystyle \mathbf {G} =\kappa \mathbf {T} ,} 839:Gravitational potential § General relativity 855:plays the role of the gravitational potential. 1343:. European Physics Series (2nd ed.). UK: 8: 981:, this will cause an object to experience a 130:attempted to model gravity as some kind of 548:Relation between Gauss's and Newton's laws 879: 868: 866: 756: 743: 725: 714: 709: 700: 687: 682: 673: 670: 664: 654: 635: 630: 623: 609: 600: 595: 588: 576: 574: 500: 485: 477: 317: 308: 298: 296: 275: 261: 255: 248: 235: 233: 225: 223: 1228:. Vol. II. Addison Wesley Longman. 79:exerted on another massive body. It has 1372:. W. H. Freeman & Co. p. 404. 1314:Whelan, P. M.; Hodgeson, M. J. (1978). 1192:Foster, J.; Nightingale, J. D. (2006). 1165:Grøn, Øyvind; Hervik, Sigbjørn (2007). 1113:. Vol. I. Addison Wesley Longman. 1096: 990:, one of the most well known being the 218:. The gravitational field equation is 1252:Forshaw, J. R.; Smith, A. G. (2009). 1060:Newton's law of universal gravitation 965:being in a region of curved space is 775:i.e. the gravitational field on mass 187:Newton's law of universal gravitation 7: 1195:A Short Course in General Relativity 753: 749: 506: 497: 479: 334: 331: 25: 949:Newtonian constant of gravitation 195:around a single particle of mass 880: 869: 710: 701: 683: 674: 631: 596: 577: 486: 309: 299: 262: 236: 226: 59:gravitational acceleration field 1316:Essential Principles of Physics 1225:The Feynman Lectures on Physics 1171:. Springer Japan. p. 256. 1110:The Feynman Lectures on Physics 925:Einstein gravitational constant 205:consisting at every point of a 1137:General Relativity from A to B 825:is that of the test particle. 554:These classical equations are 543:Poisson's equation for gravity 1: 1318:(2nd ed.). John Murray. 1280:; Trigg, G. L., eds. (1991). 148:gravitational potential field 18:Newtonian gravitational field 927:. The latter is defined as 99:(N/kg) or, equivalently, in 87:(L/T) and it is measured in 1142:University of Chicago Press 1085:Tests of general relativity 472:of the attracting mass is: 1425: 832: 456:gravitational acceleration 29: 1339:Kibble, T. W. B. (1973). 110:In its original concept, 1284:Encyclopaedia of Physics 860:Einstein field equations 1254:Dynamics and Relativity 1134:Geroch, Robert (1981). 1065:Newton's laws of motion 1045:Gravitational potential 539:Gauss's law for gravity 216:gravitational potential 166:, or that gravity is a 72:phenomena, such as the 891: 769: 531: 454:are both equal to the 395:gravitational constant 344: 164:no gravitational force 46: 892: 770: 532: 345: 175:equivalence principle 40: 1040:Gravitational energy 905:stress–energy tensor 865: 573: 476: 222: 128:Pierre-Simon Laplace 43:point of equilibrium 1399:Theories of gravity 1341:Classical Mechanics 1025:Classical mechanics 1012:sphere of influence 1008:gravitational wells 992:deflection of light 979:Newton's second law 849:Christoffel symbols 559:equations of motion 366:is the mass of the 358:gravitational force 181:Classical mechanics 140:classical mechanics 75:gravitational force 55:gravitational field 1409:General relativity 1050:Gravitational wave 1003:Embedding diagrams 977:of the field. By 887: 845:general relativity 829:General relativity 793:, except the mass 765: 748: 659: 628: 593: 527: 340: 155:general relativity 47: 1379:978-0-7167-0344-0 1354:978-0-07-084018-8 1325:978-0-7195-3382-2 1299:978-0-89573-752-6 1263:978-0-470-01460-8 1235:978-0-201-02115-8 1205:978-0-387-26078-5 1178:978-0-387-69199-2 1151:978-0-226-28864-2 1120:978-0-201-02115-8 998:Embedding diagram 739: 731: 650: 619: 617: 584: 323: 282: 243: 16:(Redirected from 1416: 1384: 1383: 1365: 1359: 1358: 1336: 1330: 1329: 1311: 1305: 1303: 1288:(2nd ed.). 1287: 1274: 1268: 1267: 1249: 1243: 1242: 1220:Feynman, Richard 1216: 1210: 1209: 1189: 1183: 1182: 1162: 1156: 1155: 1131: 1125: 1124: 1105:Feynman, Richard 1101: 1080:Speed of gravity 1070:Potential energy 1030:Entropic gravity 994:in such fields. 983:fictitious force 956: 946: 940: 922: 912: 902: 896: 894: 893: 888: 883: 872: 824: 818: 812: 801: 783: 774: 772: 771: 766: 761: 760: 747: 732: 730: 729: 724: 720: 719: 718: 713: 704: 693: 692: 691: 686: 677: 671: 669: 668: 658: 640: 639: 634: 627: 618: 610: 605: 604: 599: 592: 580: 536: 534: 533: 528: 505: 504: 489: 471: 462: 453: 452: 450: 449: 444: 441: 431: 430: 428: 427: 421: 418: 400: 392: 382: 375: 365: 355: 349: 347: 346: 341: 324: 322: 321: 316: 312: 302: 297: 283: 281: 280: 279: 266: 265: 260: 259: 249: 244: 239: 234: 229: 213: 200: 194: 168:fictitious force 144:spatial gradient 32:Gravity of Earth 27:Model in physics 21: 1424: 1423: 1419: 1418: 1417: 1415: 1414: 1413: 1389: 1388: 1387: 1380: 1367: 1366: 1362: 1355: 1338: 1337: 1333: 1326: 1313: 1312: 1308: 1300: 1276: 1275: 1271: 1264: 1251: 1250: 1246: 1236: 1218: 1217: 1213: 1206: 1191: 1190: 1186: 1179: 1164: 1163: 1159: 1152: 1144:. p. 181. 1133: 1132: 1128: 1121: 1103: 1102: 1098: 1094: 1089: 1020: 1000: 952: 942: 928: 918: 915:Einstein tensor 908: 898: 863: 862: 841: 831: 820: 814: 811: 803: 799: 794: 792: 781: 776: 752: 708: 699: 695: 694: 681: 672: 660: 629: 594: 571: 570: 537:which contains 496: 474: 473: 467: 458: 445: 442: 437: 436: 434: 433: 422: 419: 413: 412: 410: 409: 398: 388: 378: 371: 361: 351: 304: 303: 271: 267: 251: 250: 220: 219: 211: 196: 190: 183: 107:squared (m/s). 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1422: 1420: 1412: 1411: 1406: 1401: 1391: 1390: 1386: 1385: 1378: 1360: 1353: 1331: 1324: 1306: 1298: 1269: 1262: 1244: 1234: 1211: 1204: 1184: 1177: 1157: 1150: 1126: 1119: 1095: 1093: 1090: 1088: 1087: 1082: 1077: 1075:Specific force 1072: 1067: 1062: 1057: 1052: 1047: 1042: 1037: 1032: 1027: 1021: 1019: 1016: 999: 996: 959:speed of light 886: 882: 878: 875: 871: 830: 827: 807: 797: 788: 779: 764: 759: 755: 751: 746: 742: 738: 735: 728: 723: 717: 712: 707: 703: 698: 690: 685: 680: 676: 667: 663: 657: 653: 649: 646: 643: 638: 633: 626: 622: 616: 613: 608: 603: 598: 591: 587: 583: 579: 526: 523: 520: 517: 514: 511: 508: 503: 499: 495: 492: 488: 484: 481: 339: 336: 333: 330: 327: 320: 315: 311: 307: 301: 295: 292: 289: 286: 278: 274: 270: 264: 258: 254: 247: 242: 238: 232: 228: 182: 179: 118:between point 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1421: 1410: 1407: 1405: 1402: 1400: 1397: 1396: 1394: 1381: 1375: 1371: 1364: 1361: 1356: 1350: 1346: 1342: 1335: 1332: 1327: 1321: 1317: 1310: 1307: 1301: 1295: 1291: 1286: 1285: 1279: 1278:Lerner, R. G. 1273: 1270: 1265: 1259: 1255: 1248: 1245: 1241: 1237: 1231: 1227: 1226: 1221: 1215: 1212: 1207: 1201: 1197: 1196: 1188: 1185: 1180: 1174: 1170: 1169: 1161: 1158: 1153: 1147: 1143: 1139: 1138: 1130: 1127: 1122: 1116: 1112: 1111: 1106: 1100: 1097: 1091: 1086: 1083: 1081: 1078: 1076: 1073: 1071: 1068: 1066: 1063: 1061: 1058: 1056: 1053: 1051: 1048: 1046: 1043: 1041: 1038: 1036: 1033: 1031: 1028: 1026: 1023: 1022: 1017: 1015: 1013: 1009: 1004: 997: 995: 993: 989: 984: 980: 976: 972: 968: 962: 960: 955: 950: 945: 939: 935: 931: 926: 921: 916: 911: 906: 901: 884: 876: 873: 861: 856: 854: 853:metric tensor 850: 846: 840: 836: 828: 826: 823: 817: 810: 806: 800: 791: 787: 782: 762: 757: 744: 740: 736: 733: 726: 721: 715: 705: 696: 688: 678: 665: 661: 655: 651: 647: 644: 641: 636: 624: 620: 614: 611: 606: 601: 589: 585: 581: 567: 562: 560: 557: 552: 550: 549: 544: 540: 524: 521: 518: 515: 512: 509: 501: 493: 490: 482: 470: 466: 461: 457: 448: 440: 426: 417: 406: 404: 396: 391: 386: 381: 374: 369: 368:test particle 364: 359: 354: 337: 328: 325: 318: 313: 305: 293: 290: 287: 284: 276: 272: 268: 256: 252: 245: 240: 230: 217: 208: 204: 199: 193: 188: 180: 178: 176: 171: 169: 165: 160: 156: 151: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 108: 106: 102: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 78: 76: 71: 70:gravitational 67: 64: 60: 56: 52: 44: 39: 33: 19: 1369: 1363: 1340: 1334: 1315: 1309: 1283: 1272: 1253: 1247: 1239: 1224: 1214: 1194: 1187: 1167: 1160: 1136: 1129: 1109: 1099: 1007: 1002: 1001: 971:accelerating 963: 953: 943: 937: 933: 929: 919: 909: 899: 857: 842: 821: 815: 808: 804: 795: 789: 785: 777: 563: 556:differential 553: 546: 468: 459: 446: 438: 424: 415: 407: 403:del operator 389: 379: 372: 362: 352: 203:vector field 197: 191: 184: 172: 163: 152: 124:Isaac Newton 122:. Following 109: 85:acceleration 73: 58: 54: 48: 1370:Gravitation 1345:McGraw Hill 1055:Gravity map 1035:Gravitation 988:differences 1393:Categories 1092:References 967:equivalent 833:See also: 566:vector sum 1290:Wiley-VCH 1256:. Wiley. 877:κ 754:Φ 750:∇ 741:∑ 737:− 706:− 679:− 652:∑ 645:− 621:∑ 586:∑ 525:ρ 519:π 513:− 507:Φ 498:∇ 494:− 483:⋅ 480:∇ 335:Φ 332:∇ 329:− 288:− 159:spacetime 134:field or 132:radiation 81:dimension 1222:(1970). 1107:(1970). 1018:See also 975:gradient 941:, where 802:itself. 97:kilogram 1404:Geodesy 973:up the 957:is the 947:is the 923:is the 913:is the 903:is the 465:density 451:⁠ 435:⁠ 429:⁠ 411:⁠ 401:is the 393:is the 356:is the 146:of the 112:gravity 93:newtons 51:physics 1376:  1351:  1322:  1304:p. 451 1296:  1260:  1232:  1202:  1175:  1148:  1117:  917:, and 897:where 847:, the 837:, and 819:, and 541:, and 397:, and 350:where 207:vector 120:masses 114:was a 105:second 101:meters 63:vector 201:is a 136:fluid 116:force 89:units 77:field 66:field 61:is a 1374:ISBN 1349:ISBN 1320:ISBN 1294:ISBN 1258:ISBN 1230:ISBN 1200:ISBN 1173:ISBN 1146:ISBN 1115:ISBN 951:and 432:and 385:time 103:per 95:per 53:, a 969:to 932:= 8 843:In 383:is 153:In 91:of 83:of 57:or 49:In 1395:: 1347:. 1292:. 1238:. 1140:. 1014:. 1010:, 961:. 934:πG 907:, 551:. 405:. 387:, 370:, 360:, 177:. 170:. 150:. 126:, 1382:. 1357:. 1328:. 1302:. 1266:. 1208:. 1181:. 1154:. 1123:. 954:c 944:G 938:c 936:/ 930:κ 920:κ 910:G 900:T 885:, 881:T 874:= 870:G 822:R 816:i 809:i 805:R 798:j 796:m 790:i 786:m 780:j 778:m 763:, 758:i 745:i 734:= 727:3 722:| 716:i 711:R 702:R 697:| 689:i 684:R 675:R 666:i 662:m 656:i 648:G 642:= 637:i 632:F 625:i 615:m 612:1 607:= 602:i 597:g 590:i 582:= 578:g 522:G 516:4 510:= 502:2 491:= 487:g 469:ρ 460:g 447:m 443:/ 439:F 425:t 423:d 420:/ 416:R 414:d 399:∇ 390:G 380:t 373:R 363:m 353:F 338:, 326:= 319:3 314:| 310:R 306:| 300:R 294:M 291:G 285:= 277:2 273:t 269:d 263:R 257:2 253:d 246:= 241:m 237:F 231:= 227:g 212:Φ 198:M 192:g 45:. 34:. 20:)

Index

Newtonian gravitational field
Gravity of Earth

point of equilibrium
physics
vector
field
gravitational
gravitational force
dimension
acceleration
units
newtons
kilogram
meters
second
gravity
force
masses
Isaac Newton
Pierre-Simon Laplace
radiation
fluid
classical mechanics
spatial gradient
gravitational potential field
general relativity
spacetime
fictitious force
equivalence principle

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