The Role of Gravity

Among the fundamental forces of nature, gravity is of special interest for several reasons. It is, first of all, the only truly universal force. It acts on every material thing from electron to galaxy, and, as we have learned in this century, it even acts on the particles like protons and neutrinos or energy in any form. Second, gravity has played a uniquely important role in the development and growth of mechanics. Newton, in his definite formulation of mechanics, drew upon studies of motion near the earth, influenced by local gravity, and of planetary motion far from the Earth, influenced by the sun’s gravity.

Since Newton’s time, motion governed by gravitational force has provided the strictest tests of mechanics, has served as stimulus for much of the mathematical elaboration of the theory of mechanics, has led to the discovery of distant new planets, and, in our own era of artificial satellites, and has revealed new details of the shape and structure of the earth; though the study of the orbit of Mercury became the first hint of an imperfection of Newtonian mechanics. Mercury’s refusal to follow precisely the laws of classical mechanics stands as one of the experimental supports of the new mechanics of Einstein’s general relativity.

Finally, gravity has a special place in mechanics because of its essential link with motion. Most forces on Earth can be measured with a spring balance or other device that involves no motion. The same is obviously not true of the forces acting on the planets. These can be determined only if we study the motion of the planets. The motion determines the force, but at the same time the force determines the motion. Planetary mechanics must be a self-consistent theory in which the law of motion (Newton’s second law) and the law of gravitational force are intertwined.

Gravity affects everything. From our bodies to the mechanism we use to build cars and buildings, to the flames we use to heat our homes, our world is controlled by gravity. Even flames burn differently without gravity. Reduced gravity reduces convection currents, the currents that cause warm air or fluid to rise and cool air or fluid to descend on Earth. This absence of convection changes the flame shape in orbit and allows studies of the combustion process that are impossible on Earth. The absence of convection allows molten metals or other materials to be mixed more thoroughly in orbit than on Earth, opening the way to a whole new world of composite materials. Scientists plan to study this field, to create better metal alloys and more perfect materials for applications such as computer chips. Investigations that use lasers to cool atoms to near absolute zero may help us understand gravity itself.

While investigating our surrounding, we have been limited, until recently, to accepting gravity as a given factor in all our studies. History shows that changing what once was constant can lead to revolutionary discoveries.