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davepamn davepamn
 

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 M¢25  Funded By Mahalo ? |  June 23, 2009 02:31 PM

Why does gravity take affect instantly?

Gravity is faster than light. How is this possible?
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kemio kemio
 
 June 23, 2009 05:40 PM
Gravity is not faster than light. According to general relativity, the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light. General relativity agrees with observations of a binary pulsar (PSR 1913+16) whose orbit is decaying. The explanation for the decay is that gravitational radiation is escaping, which would not be possible if gravity was infinitely fast; here, the calculations say that the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light within 1%.
Source(s):
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/GR/grav_speed.html

Asker's Rating:
• Thanks, the information on the provability of theory of relativity was interesting.


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Helpful: badaspie

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davepamn davepamn
 
June 24, 2009 03:00 AM
How does the observation of a binary pulsar prove that gravity does not move faster than the speed of light? Why can't gravity be infinitely fast moving between difference membranes as closed strings? gravitons.

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kemio kemio
 
June 24, 2009 04:37 AM
I cited the binary pulsar example because it is a real-world observation matching a prediction of general relativity, a prediction that especially depends upon gravity's speed being finite. So far, general relativity has passed every observational and experimental test. It is likely that the universe *on the macroscopic scale* obeys rules that are very similar to general relativity. And general relativity says: the speed of gravity = the speed of light.

On the very small scale, you enter the world of quantum mechanics and things get very, very complicated when you try to incorporate gravity. I do not have the knowledge to answer about this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity

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hortyman hortyman
 
June 23, 2009 02:51 PM
Because it is a force that is always there in action. Out of interest are you just trying to get people to do your homework on gravity?

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Unhelpful: lesliec, badaspie

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