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2 years, 11 months ago

Why does gravity take affect instantly?

Gravity is faster than light. How is this possible?
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kemio | 2 years, 11 months ago
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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%.

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kemio | 2 years, 11 months ago Report

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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davepamn | 2 years, 11 months ago Report

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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hortyman | 2 years, 11 months ago
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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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