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Flat Earth Discussion Boards => Flat Earth Q&A => Topic started by: epsilon on December 19, 2007, 04:15:36 PM

Title: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 19, 2007, 04:15:36 PM
Prove me wrong!
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: GG-Xtreme on December 19, 2007, 05:04:50 PM
Your name is 'epsilon'. The 'e' should be capitalized. Therefore, you are wrong.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 19, 2007, 11:20:39 PM
Prove me wrong!
You are wrong, they don't exist.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Chacotay on December 20, 2007, 12:42:59 AM
Prove me wrong!

Gravity exists. It is an acceleration caused by the warping of space by mass.

Centrifugal force exists. It is the force that counters centripetal force. The misconception commonly related to centrifugal force not existing is simple - it only applies to rotating frames of reference. Therefor, in a non-rotating frame of reference there will be no centrifugal force (as there will be no centripetal force).
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Quarrior on December 20, 2007, 01:53:38 AM

Centrifugal force exists. It is the force that counters centripetal force. The misconception commonly related to centrifugal force not existing is simple - it only applies to rotating frames of reference. Therefor, in a non-rotating frame of reference there will be no centrifugal force (as there will be no centripetal force).

So stupid, I don't care about FE theory... it's a joke, but if your going to argue against it, at least know some simple science!
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on December 20, 2007, 03:26:11 AM
Prove me wrong!

Can you prove yourself right?

Acceleration and gravity are indistinguishable from each other.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Colonel Gaydafi on December 20, 2007, 10:33:29 AM
Prove me wrong!

ok
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Quarrior on December 20, 2007, 05:36:35 PM
Prove me wrong!

Can you prove yourself right?

Acceleration and gravity are indistinguishable from each other.

Exactly, equivalence principle
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 20, 2007, 10:28:52 PM
Centrifugal force exists. It is the force that counters centripetal force. The misconception commonly related to centrifugal force not existing is simple - it only applies to rotating frames of reference. Therefor, in a non-rotating frame of reference there will be no centrifugal force (as there will be no centripetal force).
No, centrifugal force does not exist altogether.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 12:48:15 AM
Sure they exist.  These forces are added to convert a non-inertial reference frame into an inertial one so Newton's laws can be used.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Quarrior on December 21, 2007, 01:23:46 AM
Sure they exist.  These forces are added to convert a non-inertial reference frame into an inertial one so Newton's laws can be used.

Ok, ummmm I'm not sure what universe he is from...
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 01:36:14 AM
Sure they exist.  These forces are added to convert a non-inertial reference frame into an inertial one so Newton's laws can be used.

Ok, ummmm I'm not sure what universe he is from...

Look up inertial and non-inertial reference frames.  Newton's laws only operate in inertial frames.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 21, 2007, 05:39:14 AM
Sure they exist.  These forces are added to convert a non-inertial reference frame into an inertial one so Newton's laws can be used.
Right.  So they are pseudo forces.  They don't actually exist as forces.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 05:47:21 AM
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So they are pseudo forces.  They don't actually exist as forces.
Why don't they exist as forces?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 02:17:51 PM
I want somebody to answer my question.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on December 21, 2007, 05:03:25 PM
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So they are pseudo forces.  They don't actually exist as forces.
Why don't they exist as forces?

In physics a force causes an acceleration.  Since neither gravity nor centrifugal force cause the accelerations they are associated with, but are rather the results of other factors, they are technically not forces.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 06:13:41 PM
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So they are pseudo forces.  They don't actually exist as forces.
Why don't they exist as forces?

In physics a force causes an acceleration.  Since neither gravity nor centrifugal force cause the accelerations they are associated with, but are rather the results of other factors, they are technically not forces.

Why don't gravity and centrifugal force cause the accelerations I observe in the inertial frame of reference I defined?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on December 21, 2007, 06:28:59 PM
Gravitation is caused by the warping of spacetime, and centrifugal force is caused by rotation.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 06:35:46 PM
Gravitation is caused by the warping of spacetime, and centrifugal force is caused by rotation.

The cause of a force is irrelevant.  If acceleration is observed in my inertial frame of reference, a force must be acting, regardless of its cause or source.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on December 21, 2007, 06:40:47 PM
No, it just appears that a force is acting.  Hence the common terms for these types of phenomena, "pseudo-force" and "fictitious force".
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 06:55:21 PM
No, it just appears that a force is acting.  Hence the common terms for these types of phenomena, "pseudo-force" and "fictitious force".

Yes, I am familiar with these terms, and I know what you are trying to argue.

However, since I am in an inertial frame of reference that I have defined, how I am supposed to determine whether a "pseudoforce" is acting or a "real" force is acting?  I don't think there is any way to determine that without leaving my frame of reference.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 21, 2007, 07:09:51 PM
Read the thread under my signature.

In your inertial frame of reference, you cannot accelerate unless a force acts on you. Pseudo forces arise in non-inertial frames of reference. Thus, for centrifugal force, you will notice that you are being pushed outward in a circular motion (accelerating). Are you saying a force is pushing you out? No, because for a inertial observer, he notices nothing is acting on you; you are actually traveling in a straight line in a circular path, but since the path is not straight, you are moving outward of the path.

If a ball were to travel constantly in a circular track for a day, cut the track and see what happens: the ball travels straight. That's not because the centrifugal force no longer acts on the ball, but because it has been trying to travel linearly around the circular path.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 07:19:50 PM
You didn't answer my question.

Let's say I am in a frame of reference.  How I am supposed to determine whether it is inertial or noninertial without leaving my frame of reference?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 21, 2007, 09:44:37 PM
Let's say I am in a frame of reference.  How I am supposed to determine whether it is inertial or noninertial without leaving my frame of reference?
Without leaving your frame of reference,

If you're in a frame of reference that is not accelerating, then what is it?
Inertial frame of reference.

If you're in a frame of reference that is accelerating, then what is it?
Non-inertial frame of reference.



Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 21, 2007, 09:53:37 PM
Without leaving leaving my frame of reference, how do I determine if my frame is accelerating or not?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 21, 2007, 11:45:44 PM
If acceleration is observed in my inertial frame of reference, a force must be acting, regardless of its cause or source.
Not at all.  Newton's first two laws of motion do not apply to a non inertial frame of reference.  This transfers to an inertial frame that was transformed from a non inertial one.  Such as with gravity.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 22, 2007, 04:53:00 AM
My point is that a perfectly acceptable inertial frame of reference can be created from a noninertial one if I assume the presence of certain forces.  Since the laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference frames, Newton's laws are now valid and I can explain all phenomena in my frame.

That being said, what makes this new frame so special from any other inertial reference frame?  Furthermore, if I were trapped in my frame of reference, how would I be able to determine if the forces I observed acting on objects were "ficticious" forces or "real" forces?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 22, 2007, 06:24:47 AM
My point is that a perfectly acceptable inertial frame of reference can be created from a noninertial one if I assume the presence of certain forces. 
Right.  And those are your pseudo forces.  They only seem to exist after you transformed your frame of reference. 

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Since the laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference frames, Newton's laws are now valid and I can explain all phenomena in my frame.
Right.

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That being said, what makes this new frame so special from any other inertial reference frame? 
Nothing.

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Furthermore, if I were trapped in my frame of reference, how would I be able to determine if the forces I observed acting on objects were "ficticious" forces or "real" forces?
Real forces produce varying accelerations on objects with varying mass.  Pseudo forces produce the same acceleration on objects with varying mass.  Such as with gravity.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 22, 2007, 06:39:05 AM
So gravity and centrifugal force do exist in the inertial frame of reference I created, right?  After all, I can explain all phenomena in my reference frame with these forces included.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 22, 2007, 06:40:47 AM
They are pseudo forces.  They act like a force, but are nothing of the sort.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 22, 2007, 06:41:50 AM
So why do you say they don't exist?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 22, 2007, 06:42:44 AM
Because...they don't.  ???
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 22, 2007, 06:44:05 AM
Well, that doesn't answer my question.  ::)
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 22, 2007, 02:11:15 PM
So, what makes you think the forces exist? What causes them? Every force must come from an external agent. So, I would like you to tell me where does the force of gravity and the centrifugal force come from.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 22, 2007, 03:38:35 PM
When dealing with a noninertial reference frame, one must find a way to convert it to an inertial reference frame so we can use Newton's laws, because Newton's laws are only valid in an inertial frame.  There are two methods of accomplishing this.  One is by using pseudoforces.  The other is searching for another reference frame for which the motion is inertial.

As we have seen, including the existence of pseudoforces in a noninertial frame can convert it entirely into an inertial one.  We are now able to use the laws of physics to make accurate predictions about our formerly noninertial reference frame.

The second method, finding another reference frame for which motion is inertial, is the method I believe you are trying to advocate.  I think you are aware how it works.  For circular motion, you simply shift to a non-rotating frame and you can explain the motions such as a ball flying off in a straight line quite easily.  Gravitation is a little more tricky.  You shift to a reference frame in non-Euclidian space such that the motion we observe, such as orbits of planets, is inertial.  This is just general relativity

Both of these methods of transforming a noninertial frame into an inertial one are equally valid.  One method may be simpler and more enlightening than the other, such as the case with gravitation, but both methods are equally capable of accurate predictions.  So which method is superior?  Which method has more right to "existence"?  A pseudoforce no more exists than the space-time manifold of general relativity.  They are both just constructs of our minds to explain the motions we observe.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 23, 2007, 02:43:12 PM
When dealing with a noninertial reference frame, one must find a way to convert it to an inertial reference frame so we can use Newton's laws, because Newton's laws are only valid in an inertial frame.  There are two methods of accomplishing this.  One is by using pseudoforces.  The other is searching for another reference frame for which the motion is inertial.
There ya go. You finally explained the centrifugal force and gravity force do not exist.

As we have seen, including the existence of pseudoforces in a noninertial frame can convert it entirely into an inertial one.  We are now able to use the laws of physics to make accurate predictions about our formerly noninertial reference frame.

The second method, finding another reference frame for which motion is inertial, is the method I believe you are trying to advocate.  I think you are aware how it works.  For circular motion, you simply shift to a non-rotating frame and you can explain the motions such as a ball flying off in a straight line quite easily.  Gravitation is a little more tricky.  You shift to a reference frame in non-Euclidian space such that the motion we observe, such as orbits of planets, is inertial.  This is just general relativity

Both of these methods of transforming a noninertial frame into an inertial one are equally valid.  One method may be simpler and more enlightening than the other, such as the case with gravitation, but both methods are equally capable of accurate predictions.  So which method is superior?  Which method has more right to "existence"?  A pseudoforce no more exists than the space-time manifold of general relativity.  They are both just constructs of our minds to explain the motions we observe.

Right, since pseudo-forces arise in shifting frames of reference (in order to become valid), they cannot possibly exist as real forces. Anyway, either we agree the forces do not exist or you can answer my questions above, which you still haven't.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 23, 2007, 05:41:28 PM
You obviously misunderstood what I wrote, but I'll answer your question anyway.

So, what makes you think the forces exist? What causes them? Every force must come from an external agent. So, I would like you to tell me where does the force of gravity and the centrifugal force come from.

You've got a valid question.  If a force is acting on object, another object must cause the force, right?  With gravity, you can attribute the cause of the force to another mass.  Mass attracts mass.  For centrifugal and coriolis forces, there is some debate as to what causes them, but apparently the rest of the universe does.  Read an article on Newton's Bucket argument and Mach's principle such as this one: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PrintHT/Newton_bucket.html (http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PrintHT/Newton_bucket.html)

But this is irrelevant to the argument I am trying to make.

I am merely saying that pseudoforces and changing reference frames are equally valid methods of converting from noninertial frames to inertial frames.  Since all inertial reference frames are equivalent, what makes either method superior to the other?  A pseudoforce exists no more or less than the other inertial reference frame you switch to when dealing with circular motion and gravity.

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Right, since pseudo-forces arise in shifting frames of reference (in order to become valid), they cannot possibly exist as real forces.

Pseudoforces are different from other forces (electromagnetism, friction and such) since they depend on your frame of reference.  But how does that make them not exist?  They certainly exist in the inertial frame of reference you have chosen for them.  That's all that matters.


Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 24, 2007, 02:28:17 PM
You've got a valid question.  If a force is acting on object, another object must cause the force, right?  With gravity, you can attribute the cause of the force to another mass.  Mass attracts mass. 
What about objects that have no mass?  Do objects simply turn off this force if there were no other mass in the universe?

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Pseudoforces are different from other forces (electromagnetism, friction and such) since they depend on your frame of reference.  But how does that make them not exist?
They don't exist as forces.  They only arise when you look at yourself in the wrong frame of reference.  You must invent a force to resolve your observations.  Pseudo forces don't actually exist as forces.  They only appear to be forces.  There is no force acting on an object experiencing gravity.  It just appears to be behaving as though acted on by a force, to us.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 24, 2007, 02:39:09 PM
You obviously misunderstood what I wrote, but I'll answer your question anyway.
You said shifting frames of reference is one of the methods to deal with pseudo-forces. Thus, they cannot exist as real forces.

You've got a valid question.  If a force is acting on object, another object must cause the force, right?
Right.

With gravity, you can attribute the cause of the force to another mass.  Mass attracts mass.
No, gravity does not exist. Mass never attracts mass. Inverse square law is no longer valid in modern science.

For centrifugal and coriolis forces, there is some debate as to what causes them, but apparently the rest of the universe does.
There's no need of debate, as these forces never exist as real. Take some general relativity and you will know they are inertial-forces proportional to inertial masses, which means they don't exist.

I am merely saying that pseudoforces and changing reference frames are equally valid methods of converting from noninertial frames to inertial frames.  Since all inertial reference frames are equivalent, what makes either method superior to the other?  A pseudoforce exists no more or less than the other inertial reference frame you switch to when dealing with circular motion and gravity.
Right, since you must shift frames of reference to deal with these forces, they are considered pseudo-forces. Since pseudo-forces exist only in inertial frames of reference, when one observer enters a non-inertial frames of reference, they cease to exist. These forces are what the observer feels when accelerating. Relative to a stationary observer, nothing is exerted on the accelerating observer.

Pseudoforces are different from other forces (electromagnetism, friction and such) since they depend on your frame of reference.  But how does that make them not exist?  They certainly exist in the inertial frame of reference you have chosen for them.  That's all that matters.
You still don't understand. If pseudo-forces only exist in inertial frames of reference, they cannot possibly exist as real forces.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 24, 2007, 02:46:03 PM
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What about objects that have no mass?

Like light?  Light has energy, so by mass-energy equivalence there is a mass you can associate with it called its relativistic mass.  Thus, light can be acted upon by a force even though its component photons have no rest mass.

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Do objects simply turn off this force if there were no other mass in the universe?

Mach's principle seems to imply that the answer is yes.

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You must invent a force to resolve your observations.

Do you also not have to "invent" another reference frame such that the observed motion is inertial?  That's what Einstein spent a decade doing with general relativity.

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They only arise when you look at yourself in the wrong frame of reference.

How do you know what the "right" reference frame is?  Adding pseudoforces and transforming to other reference frames are equally valid methods of arriving at inertial reference frames.  Since all inertial frames are equivalent, which method is more right?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 24, 2007, 02:56:27 PM
Like light?  Light has energy, so by mass-energy equivalence there is a mass you can associate with it called its relativistic mass.  Thus, light can be acted upon by a force even though its component photons have no rest mass.
Why do you leave them out of the whole gravity equation, then?  Are they not special enough to cause gravity too?  Or do you only apply physics to certain things?

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Do objects simply turn off this force if there were no other mass in the universe?
Mach's principle seems to imply that the answer is yes.
Mach's principle does not.

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Do you also not have to "invent" another reference frame such that the observed motion is inertial?  That's what Einstein spent a decade doing with general relativity.
Inventing inertial frames from non inertial ones is what causes the problem.

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How do you know what the "right" reference frame is?
It's the one without the pseudo forces.

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Adding pseudoforces and transforming to other reference frames are equally valid methods of arriving at inertial reference frames.  Since all inertial frames are equivalent, which method is more right?
Adding pseudo forces to a transformed frame of reference is quite valid.  That does not in any way turn pseudo forces into real ones.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 24, 2007, 03:21:28 PM
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Quote from: epsilon on Today at 02:46:03 PM
Like light?  Light has energy, so by mass-energy equivalence there is a mass you can associate with it called its relativistic mass.  Thus, light can be acted upon by a force even though its component photons have no rest mass.

Why do you leave them out of the whole gravity equation, then?  Are they not special enough to cause gravity too?  Or do you only apply physics to certain things?

What gravity equation?  Newton's law of universal gravitation?  We both know that it is incorrect.  Are you trying to ask whether light can cause gravity or not?  Why not?  It has relativistic mass.


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How do you know what the "right" reference frame is?
It's the one without the pseudo forces.

An inertial frame without pseudoforces is just as right as one with pseudoforces.

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Inventing inertial frames from non inertial ones is what causes the problem.

Can you explain please?

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Adding pseudo forces to a transformed frame of reference is quite valid.  That does not in any way turn pseudo forces into real ones.

Yup.  It's perfectly legitimate to use pseudoforces as if they were real forces in the reference fame you are working in.  I am trying to argue that this is just as legitimate as shifting to another frame.  Just because pseudoforces don't act like other forces in that they depend on one's frame of reference, how does that make them not exist?

Excellent debate.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 24, 2007, 04:24:40 PM
Yup.  It's perfectly legitimate to use pseudoforces as if they were real forces in the reference fame you are working in.
...Which is why they are not considered real...

I am trying to argue that this is just as legitimate as shifting to another frame.  Just because pseudoforces don't act like other forces in that they depend on one's frame of reference, how does that make them not exist?
No, pseudo-forces work exactly the same as real forces.  The only reason why they don't exist is that they are only valid in inertial frames of reference.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 24, 2007, 04:29:08 PM
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No, pseudo-forces work exactly the same as real forces.

When did I say they didn't work the same as real forces?

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The only reason why they don't exist is that they are only valid in inertial frames of reference.

What?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 24, 2007, 04:31:47 PM
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No, pseudo-forces work exactly the same as real forces.

When did I say they didn't work the same as real forces?
When did I say you say they didn't work the same as real forces?

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The only reason why they don't exist is that they are only valid in inertial frames of reference.

What?
So, in what frames of reference do Newton's gravity and his laws of motion become valid again?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 24, 2007, 04:37:15 PM
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So, in what frames of reference do Newton's gravity and his laws of motion become valid again?

Inertial ones.  What's your point?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on December 24, 2007, 04:49:00 PM
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So, in what frames of reference do Newton's gravity and his laws of motion become valid again?

Inertial ones.  What's your point?
...that they are only valid in inertial frames of reference... Hence, they are considered fictitious.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 24, 2007, 05:09:58 PM
What gravity equation?  Newton's law of universal gravitation?  We both know that it is incorrect.  Are you trying to ask whether light can cause gravity or not?  Why not?  It has relativistic mass.
What would happen if you slowed down light?

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Inventing inertial frames from non inertial ones is what causes the problem.

Can you explain please?
Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.

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Just because pseudoforces don't act like other forces in that they depend on one's frame of reference, how does that make them not exist?
How does a fictitious force become a real force?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on December 25, 2007, 02:37:15 AM
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What would happen if you slowed down light?

Light is peculiar.  It always travels at c.  However, a force does work on light by changing its energy and hence wavelength.

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Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.

Yeah, that's right, but why is dealing with pseudoforces problematic?  Why should it matter whether I choose a reference frame with pseudoforces or not?

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How does a fictitious force become a real force?

A ficticious force is a real force in the reference frame you have chosen for it.  If it acts like a force why can't it be considered a force?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: divito the truthist on December 25, 2007, 02:49:28 AM
A ficticious force is a real force in the reference frame you have chosen for it.  If it acts like a force why can't it be considered a force?

A force will be a force no matter what FoR you choose. If you can make it disappear by changing your FoR, then it's a pseudo-force; it doesn't exist as a real force.

It's really not that complicated. If you're going to speak of gravity as a force, at least acknowledge that's it's fictitious and we can end the debate.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on December 25, 2007, 05:23:43 AM
Light is peculiar.  It always travels at c. 
Ok, so what would happen if you slowed it down?  What would happen to its relativistic mass?  What equations even use relativistic mass in determining 'gravity'?

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Yeah, that's right, but why is dealing with pseudoforces problematic?  Why should it matter whether I choose a reference frame with pseudoforces or not?
I did not say that having pseudo forces was problematic, I said the transformation of FoRs is what was causing our problem, as in, our debate.

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A ficticious force is a real force in the reference frame you have chosen for it.  If it acts like a force why can't it be considered a force?
I'll ask again:  How can a fictitious force become a real force?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Dead Kangaroo on December 25, 2007, 07:47:07 AM
I'll ask again:  How can a fictitious force become a real force?
Pinocchio.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Loard Z on December 25, 2007, 12:37:25 PM
I'll ask again:  How can a fictitious force become a real force?
Pinocchio.

Or leprechauns. Don't forget them
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: epsilon on February 06, 2008, 09:17:40 PM
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Ok, so what would happen if you slowed it down?

What does this have to do with anything?  How is that even possible?

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I did not say that having pseudo forces was problematic, I said the transformation of FoRs is what was causing our problem, as in, our debate.

Pseudoforces cannot be completely explained as mere relics of transformation from one frame of reference to another.

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How can a fictitious force become a real force?

My entire point is that 'fictitious' forces are real forces.

Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on February 07, 2008, 02:35:39 AM
My entire point is that 'fictitious' forces are real forces.

Wow.  Your entire point is wrong then.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Loard Z on February 07, 2008, 02:43:03 AM
rofl
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on February 07, 2008, 05:45:56 PM
My entire point is that 'fictitious' forces are real forces.

EPSILON'S EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE:

Fake = Real
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 07, 2008, 06:36:45 PM
Would someone please explain what they mean by fictious forces?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 07, 2008, 06:42:19 PM
Centrifugal force is not a force, it is you trying to go straight out and escape this circular motion.  Nothing is pushing or pulling on you.

Gravity is an imaginary force that can be created in a non-inertial frame of reference, similar to centrifugal force.

(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/centrifugal_force.png)
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 07, 2008, 06:44:18 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 07, 2008, 06:46:31 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 07, 2008, 06:48:11 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.

Acceleration is a relative term. It has no meaning unless you define the body with respect to which you are considering this acceleration.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 07, 2008, 06:50:13 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.

Acceleration is a relative term. It has no meaning unless you define the body with respect to which you are considering this acceleration.

The point is, you feel a gravitational force when you are accelerated.

In RE, this is still a fictitious force explained by the bending of space-time.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 07, 2008, 06:58:12 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.

Acceleration is a relative term. It has no meaning unless you define the body with respect to which you are considering this acceleration.

The point is, you feel a gravitational force when you are accelerated.

In RE, this is still a fictitious force explained by the bending of space-time.

Well, if I am falling freely relative to the Earth, I am accelerated, but I feel weightless, don't I?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 07, 2008, 07:09:52 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.

Acceleration is a relative term. It has no meaning unless you define the body with respect to which you are considering this acceleration.

The point is, you feel a gravitational force when you are accelerated.

In RE, this is still a fictitious force explained by the bending of space-time.

Well, if I am falling freely relative to the Earth, I am accelerated, but I feel weightless, don't I?

When in free fall, you are traveling at a constant velocity.  When you first jump out of a plane, you feel it.  It isn't until you reach terminal velocity that you feel weightless.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 07, 2008, 07:44:02 PM
But I want to go along the tangent of the circle, and not along its radius. And another thing, what do you mean by a non-inerital reference frame?

An accelerating frame of reference.

Acceleration is a relative term. It has no meaning unless you define the body with respect to which you are considering this acceleration.

The point is, you feel a gravitational force when you are accelerated.

In RE, this is still a fictitious force explained by the bending of space-time.

Well, if I am falling freely relative to the Earth, I am accelerated, but I feel weightless, don't I?

When in free fall, you are traveling at a constant velocity.  When you first jump out of a plane, you feel it.  It isn't until you reach terminal velocity that you feel weightless.

No, it is actually the other way around. When you just jump of an airplane, you are weightless. Once you reach your terminal velocity, you are actually feeling your whole weight again. Try dropping something small, but dense, like a lead ball, when falling. It will fall relative to you.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 07, 2008, 10:53:29 PM
When you are in freefall, you are actually traveling inertially along a geodesic.  Therefore, you feel no force.  When you are standing on the earth, you are constantly being accelerated.  However, you sense yourself to be at rest, so in your mind, you create a fake force to describe what you are feeling. 
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 06:32:14 AM
When you are in freefall, you are actually traveling inertially along a geodesic.  Therefore, you feel no force.  When you are standing on the earth, you are constantly being accelerated.  However, you sense yourself to be at rest, so in your mind, you create a fake force to describe what you are feeling. 

Can you give a proof of your explaination?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Loard Z on February 08, 2008, 07:09:58 AM
can you disprove his explanation?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 07:27:42 AM
When you travel along curved geodesics, you have acceleration. If you have mass, it means there is a force acting on you.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 11:04:24 AM
You are undergoing inertial motion when you travel along a geodesic.  You need to get out of Euclidean geometry.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Jack on February 08, 2008, 01:04:37 PM
If you have mass, it means there is a force acting on you.
Not true. Imagine you're in a sealed elevator. The cable is cut and the elevator, along with you, free-falls. Objects floats around you as you are free-falling to the ground. However, you can not tell whether you're in deep space with no gravity or on Earth with gravity. Hence, because it is shown that the effects of acceleration are equal to the effects of gravity, the force of gravity is  considered fictitious. Fictitious forces arise in a non-inertial (in this case, free-falling) frame of reference for they are used to explain accelerating objects. In such frame, objects actually move at changing speed with no apparent forces needed, which violates Newton's law because the only way an object can move and accelerate is if a force is applied to it. In other words, these forces do not exist due to that they are only valid in an inertial frame of reference. Now imagine yourself in an accelerating car (non-inertial frame of reference). The car accelerates and stops, thereby forcing you to move towards the dashboard. When viewed relative to the ground (stationary), we can conclude that no force is acted upon you.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 07:03:26 PM
You are undergoing inertial motion when you travel along a geodesic.  You need to get out of Euclidean geometry.

First of all, what do you mean by the expression 'undergoing inertial motion'? Motion with respect to what? Unless you specify what these terms are, your statements have no meaning and are out of context.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 08:38:58 PM
I really wish you people would look stuff up for yourselves.

Quote from: Wiki
General relativity is distinguished from other metric theories of gravitation by its use of the Einstein field equations to relate spacetime content and spacetime curvature.[2][3] The field equations are a system of partial differential equations whose solution gives the metric tensor of spacetime, describing its "shape". In the resulting geometry, an object moving inertially in a gravitational field is viewed as following a geodesic path that may be found using the Christoffel symbols of the metric. Solutions of the Einstein field equations model gravitating systems, especially important ones exhibiting spherical symmetry, notable examples being the Schwarzschild solution, the Reissner-Nordström solution and the Kerr metric.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Agent_0042 on February 08, 2008, 08:52:51 PM
^^ I'd watch this one, Engy.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 09:14:22 PM
I really wish you people would look stuff up for yourselves.

Quote from: Wiki
General relativity is distinguished from other metric theories of gravitation by its use of the Einstein field equations to relate spacetime content and spacetime curvature.[2][3] The field equations are a system of partial differential equations whose solution gives the metric tensor of spacetime, describing its "shape". In the resulting geometry, an object moving inertially in a gravitational field is viewed as following a geodesic path that may be found using the Christoffel symbols of the metric. Solutions of the Einstein field equations model gravitating systems, especially important ones exhibiting spherical symmetry, notable examples being the Schwarzschild solution, the Reissner-Nordström solution and the Kerr metric.

What is this spacetime content?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 09:45:18 PM
Stuff contained in spacetime...?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 09:46:52 PM
Stuff contained in spacetime...?

How scientific! So, what is the unit of measurement for 'stuff contained in spacetime'? Also, can stuff also be contained out of spacetime?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 09:49:34 PM
1)Energy, mass or momentum.
2)No.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 09:51:09 PM
1)Energy, mass or momentum.
2)No.



Earth has mass. And still, you claim it does not cause curvature of spacetime. How come?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 09:52:38 PM
Do I?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 09:53:49 PM
Don't you?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 09:55:22 PM
You seem to think so. 
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 08, 2008, 10:07:29 PM
Well, you said the only reason we say a force of gravity is acting on objects near Earth's surface is because we think we are in an inertial reference frame in which there exists a gravitational field, while, actually, our FoR is a non inertial one.

Then, you also said that freely falling bodies exhibit inertial motion along curved geodesics.

But, from your previous reasoning, it is clear that the curvature of space time is simply because we are in a non inertial FoR and not because of the mass of the Earth.

Am I correct? If not, please tell me what my mistake is.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 08, 2008, 10:41:13 PM
Well, you said the only reason we say a force of gravity is acting on objects near Earth's surface is because we think we are in an inertial reference frame in which there exists a gravitational field, while, actually, our FoR is a non inertial one.
Right.

Quote
Then, you also said that freely falling bodies exhibit inertial motion along curved geodesics.
Right.

Quote
But, from your previous reasoning, it is clear that the curvature of space time is simply because we are in a non inertial FoR and not because of the mass of the Earth.
No.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 08:30:38 AM
Quote
But, from your previous reasoning, it is clear that the curvature of space time is simply because we are in a non inertial FoR and not because of the mass of the Earth.
No.

So, the mass of the Earth also curves spacetime?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 09:45:45 AM
But, from your previous reasoning, it is clear that the curvature of space time is simply because we are in a non inertial FoR and not because of the mass of the Earth.
How is this clear, again?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:13:56 AM
Quote
Quote
Inventing inertial frames from non inertial ones is what causes the problem.

Can you explain please?
Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:15:15 AM
Yes, that's what I said, thanks.   ???
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:17:48 AM
Ok, let me make this absolutely clear:

1) Do you agree that a motion along a curved geodesic is perceived as an accelerated motion?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:25:18 AM
Isn't that what I said in that quote?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:30:18 AM
Ok, let me make this absolutely clear:

1) Do you agree that a motion along a curved geodesic is perceived as an accelerated motion?

Isn't that what I said in that quote?

I will take that as a 'Yes'.

Now, this is very important:

2) Do you also agree that, by a suitable choice of coordinate (+ time) transformations from the reference frame connected to the Flat Earth one can make the metric tensor to have its Gallilean form (i.e. diagonal, with diagonal elements, 1, -1, -1, -1)?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:35:12 AM
However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.


Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:39:07 AM
However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.

Well, you did not answer my question. How does one look outside of their own reference frame?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:41:10 AM
By simply realizing you are not inertial.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:45:07 AM
By simply realizing you are not inertial.

How does one realize that?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:05:00 AM
By looking at the evidence...?  Thinking logically...?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:10:04 AM
By looking at the evidence...?  Thinking logically...?

Well, I will be contented  with your ambiguous  answer when you present what you mean by an inertial reference frame.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:53:07 AM
Inertial - moving inertially.
Non inertial - accelerating.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:57:36 AM
By looking at the evidence...?  Thinking logically...?

Well, I will be contented  with your ambiguous  answer when you present what you mean by an inertial reference frame.

Inertial - moving inertially.
Non inertial - accelerating.

In case you did not notice, I was asking for a definition of an inertial frame of reference (or, in short, FoR, as you like to refer to it). Your definition makes no sense. Moving with respect to what? Accelerating with respect to what? Motion is relative, you know.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:59:42 AM
Inertial frame of reference - one that is moving inertially
Non inertial frame of reference - one that is accelerating

Sorry that was too complicated for you.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 12:00:30 PM
Inertial frame of reference - one that is moving inertially
Non inertial frame of reference - one that is accelerating

Sorry that was too complicated for you.

Moving with respect to what?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 12:08:50 PM
Space..?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 12:25:01 PM
Inertial frame of reference - one that is moving inertially
Non inertial frame of reference - one that is accelerating

Sorry that was too complicated for you.

Moving with respect to what?

Space..?

What do you mean by "space"? The Universe or a three-dimensional continuum?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 12:32:25 PM
This line of questioning is growing tedious.

Me: The reason is answer1.
you: what do you mean by answer1?
Me: Answer2.
You: What do you mean by answer2?
Me: Answer3.
You: What do you mean by answer3?

How about you stay with the first one?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 12:34:16 PM
The line of questioning is tedious because of the ambiguity of your replies. If I want to make something absolutely clear, I must know what is the exact meaning of your statements. Would you please answer my questions?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 12:38:52 PM
Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 01:17:56 PM
Since you refuse to give a straight answer, I will assume that you mean the following statements are true. Just write either Yes or No:

Let us denote the FoR with respect to which the Flat Earth is accelerating "upwards" with acceleration g (g = 32.2 ft/s2), as measured by an observer stationary with respect to FE by S;

1) You postulate that the S FoR is inertial;

2) Any particle moving inertially (i.e. freely, without anything acting on it) w.r.t. S is moving uniformly or is at rest w.r.t. S, i.e. it is moving with constant velocity;
(This is what a definition of an inertial reference frame actually is.)

Quote from: Mathematical note:
This means that the geodesics in S are straight lines (in 4 dimensional space - time). This, in turn, means that the 4 dimensional space - time for S is flat and described by a Galillean metric tensor (diagonal tensor with values {1,-1,-1,-1}).

There is a simple theorem stating that if some FoR S* is moving with constant velocity w.r.t. an inertial FoR S, then and only then is S* an inertial FoR, meaning that property 2) is also valid for it.

3) The FoR S', connected to the FE at all times is non-inertial. This means that (4D) space-time is curved w.r.t. S', and, a particle moving along a geodesic in this FoR, actually moves with acceleration -g relative to S';

The next point is a bit mathematically involved, but, having in mind the previous exposition, I think there should be no trouble following it:

5) One can find a set of 4 transformations (3 for spatial coordinates + 1 for time) between the space-time cooridnates (x'0 = ct', x'1 = x', x'2 = y', x'3 = z') in S' and some new coordinates (x0, x1, x2, x3), i.e. one can find 4 functions fi (i = 0, 1, 2, 3) that might also depend on g and c as parameters:

x'0 = f0(x0, x1, x2, x3; g, c)

x'1 = f1(x0, x1, x2, x3; g, c)

x'2 = f2(x0, x1, x2, x3; g, c)

x'3 = f3(x0, x1, x2, x3; g, c)

such that, the metric tensor transforms into its Galillean form (see the above mathematical note). What this effectively means is that the new set of unprimed space-time coordinates can be associated to some inertial FoR, as described by point 2 and the mathematical note.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 02:30:19 PM
Wait, who was talking about the FE?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on February 09, 2008, 02:32:25 PM
LOL
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 02:32:52 PM
The gravitational field of a RE cannot be simulated at all points by a single accelerated reference frame.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 02:35:26 PM
Wait, who was talking about the FE?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 03:10:10 PM
Wait, who was talking about the FE?

If the Earth's gravitational field is just a consecuence of its accelerated motion with respect to some inertial reference (your claim) and bodies fall freely perpendicular to the Eath's surface (when released without initial velocity), the only shape of the surface of the Earth is a plane. Don't you agree?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 03:55:13 PM
Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.

We were discussing this, not the FE, remember.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 04:46:08 PM
The point is that:

1) Although you can interpret the gravitational field at some particular point in space at any time as an effect caused by being in an accelerated FoR w.r.t. some inertial FoR in which there is no gravitational field present,

2) this, in genreal, cannot be done for the whole space at once. This is because gravitational fields caused by massive objects and gravitational fields simply caused by the acceleration of the FoR have different behavior at infinity. Namely, the former tend to zero at large distances from the body, while the later either increase with distance (like the onces caused by a rotating FoR), or, at least remain constant (like a uniformly accelerated FoR).

The FE model is one of the rare cases where the gravitational field at any point on the Earth's surface can be explained as if that is a non-inertial FoR. This would be impossible, as I said in my previous post, if the surface of the Earth had any other shape.

However, as it probably had been pointed out in many threads before, this kind of gravitational field would remain constant at any altitude.

Another problem is, that, the gravitational field present in an accelerated FoR, is uniform, and, therefore, has no gradient. A measure for this gradient is the curvature of space-time. There is a scalar quantity (being the same in any FoR, both inertial and non-inertial), called scalar curvature R. In the FE model, R = 0. But, one of Einstein's field equations connects R with the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T measuring the energy density (including the rest energy of any present particles with mass) at that point. The equation is:

R = -(8πG/c4) T

Since R = 0, T = 0 everywhere. But, we know that the Earth itself is massive. Also, if UA can increse the kinetic energy of the FE, then, by the law of conservation of energy, it also must possess some form of energy, making T ≠ 0. There is a clear contradiction.

So, if you want to use General Relativity, you must use it as a whole and not partially quote the statements that are in favor of your needs, whatever those might be, and ommiting the ones that blantantly disagree with your persuasions. Or, are you too afraid to say Einstein was wrong?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 05:31:23 PM
No one in this thread besides yourself is talking about the FE.

Taking a non inertial frame of reference and making it inertial is what gives us our fictitious forces.  Such as with gravity.  We are undergoing a constant acceleration, but we perceive ourselves to be at rest.  Thereby, changing our non inertial FoR into an inertial one.  In doing this transformation, we see that objects appear to accelerate towards the ground.  Since we are in an inertial FoR, we assume Newton's first two laws of inertia apply, so we assume there must be a force acting on the object, making it accelerate.  However, if we look at it outside of our inertial FoR, we would see that the object is the inertial one and we are non inertial.

We were discussing this, not the FE, remember.

Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 06:13:10 PM
Ok, plain and simple then:

Do you think that any mass or energy curves spacetime?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 06:29:50 PM
Along with momentum. 

But what does that have to do with my quote?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 06:47:53 PM
your quote explains the free fall of object near earth's surface otherwise.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:47:18 PM
Uh, my quote is about the fictitious nature of gravity.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:49:47 PM
Gravity is not fictious. It originates from real bodies that have mass. It cannot be nulled by a suitable choice of a reference frame at any point in space at the same time.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:55:01 PM
What about bodies without mass?  Why do you leave them out of having gravity?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 09, 2008, 10:55:46 PM
Yes, but it's not a "force".  It's caused by the bending of space-time, it's not an actual force.

Plus, light is affected, it doesn't have mass.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:57:04 PM
What about bodies without mass?  Why do you leave them out of having gravity?

What bodies would those be?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Trekky0623 on February 09, 2008, 10:58:09 PM
What about bodies without mass?  Why do you leave them out of having gravity?

What bodies would those be?


Light
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 10:58:53 PM
Photons and gluons.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 10:59:34 PM
Light does not follow geodesics in a gravitational field. Although it ia tought that way in introductory undergraduate physics books, it is not true.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:00:55 PM
Wow, that's a new one.  Care to cite a source or two?

Oh, and like I asked, why does light get left out of having gravity? 
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:04:38 PM
Landau L.D., Lifshitz E.M. "The Classical Theory of Fields", Chapter 9, Section 88, Problem 2.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:08:08 PM
That was a really lame attempt.  Please try again, with something better.  I've got probably, 200 sources that I could find in just a few minutes that say you are wrong.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:12:25 PM
And, yet, you are unable to grasp the mathematical tools necessary to understand the argument.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:14:09 PM
And yet you think light does not have 'gravity'.  And yet, you think gravity is an actual force.  And yet, you don't understand my original quote.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:17:46 PM
And yet, you're running in circles not even knowing what inertial FoR even mean. You think you read some introductory course in GR with fancy diagrams and know it all.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:22:34 PM
inertial FoR even mean.
You are the one that asked what it was.  If you care to show me wrong, please do.  I would also like to see more sources to back your claim.  I would also like to know why you leave light out of having gravity.  I would also like to know how you can't understand my quote, yet are so educated in the mathematical workings of GR.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:24:19 PM
I presented my source. You have not even heard of one of the greatest scientists of the XX century. You lose.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:25:26 PM
I have the greatest: Einstein.  He says you are an idiot.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:27:38 PM
Compared to him, I am. Compared to your baloney, definetely not.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:29:53 PM
The irony is so thick I could cut it with a knife...
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:31:06 PM
Is the mass of the Earth the reason that bodies fall towards it?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:33:01 PM
No.  It's because of geodesics.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:34:31 PM
Is the mass of the Earth the reason that bodies fall towards it?

No.  It's because of geodesics.

There you go again. Why do you even use terms that you don't know what actually mean?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:39:07 PM
Hmm, I don't know what that means?  Why don't you enlighten me?  At the same time, tell me why light does not follow geodesics.  Also, why does light not create 'gravity'?  Why am I wrong about inertial frames?  Why is my quote wrong?

This should be very simple for someone that is as well versed in General Relativity as yourself...
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:41:59 PM
I don't have neither the time nor the intention to educate such a thick skull. If you want to learn, spend $50 and buy the book I have quoted. I do not have to prove anything. It is you who is implying that the mass of the Earth plays no role in the free fall acceleration of bodies near its surface. Light does not travel along geodesics. You can quote me on that, although I have not proven it.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:46:21 PM
I have the greatest: Einstein.  He says you are an idiot.

Quote from: Wiki
In general relativity, light follows a special variety of straightest-possible world-line, so-called light-like or null geodesics – a generalization of the straight lines along which light travels in classical physics, and the invariance of lightspeed in special relativity.[21] As one examines suitable model spacetimes (either the exterior Schwarzschild solution or, for more than a single mass, the Post-Newtonian expansion),[22] several effects of gravity on light propagation emerge.

The best-known is the bending of light in a gravitational field: light passing a massive body is deflected towards that body. While such an effect can also be derived by extending the universality of free fall to light,[23] the maximal angle of deflection resulting from such heuristic calculations is only half the value given by general relativity; from the standpoint of Einstein's theory they take into account the effect of gravity on time, but not its consequences for the warping of space.[24] An important example of this is starlight being deflected as it passes the Sun; in consequence, the positions of stars observed in the Sun's vicinity during a solar eclipse appear shifted by up to 1.75 arc seconds. This effect was first measured by a British expedition directed by Arthur Eddington, and confirmed with significantly higher accuracy by subsequent measurements.[25]

Please, please, continue.  Your ignorance is amusing.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:47:48 PM
I have the greatest: Einstein.  He says you are an idiot.

Quote from: Wiki
In general relativity, light follows a special variety of straightest-possible world-line, so-called light-like or null geodesics – a generalization of the straight lines along which light travels in classical physics, and the invariance of lightspeed in special relativity.[21] As one examines suitable model spacetimes (either the exterior Schwarzschild solution or, for more than a single mass, the Post-Newtonian expansion),[22] several effects of gravity on light propagation emerge.

The best-known is the bending of light in a gravitational field: light passing a massive body is deflected towards that body. While such an effect can also be derived by extending the universality of free fall to light,[23] the maximal angle of deflection resulting from such heuristic calculations is only half the value given by general relativity; from the standpoint of Einstein's theory they take into account the effect of gravity on time, but not its consequences for the warping of space.[24] An important example of this is starlight being deflected as it passes the Sun; in consequence, the positions of stars observed in the Sun's vicinity during a solar eclipse appear shifted by up to 1.75 arc seconds. This effect was first measured by a British expedition directed by Arthur Eddington, and confirmed with significantly higher accuracy by subsequent measurements.[25]

Please, please, continue.  Your ignorance is amusing.

And, of course, Einstein wrote in Wikipedia.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:49:38 PM
Would you like some more?  I can find hundreds.  You, unfortunately, only have one.  One which you can't produce. 
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 09, 2008, 11:50:18 PM
Unlike your sources, this one is reckognized in the scientific comunity.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 09, 2008, 11:56:35 PM
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jcohn/lens.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/news/grav_lens.html
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/galaxies/lensing.html
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/castles/
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1996/10
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050503_grav_lensing.html
http://casswww.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/GLens.html

How about those?  Oh, and how about all those pictures?  Seems to be a lot of pictures of something that you claim can't happen.  Strange...
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:02:12 AM
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jcohn/lens.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/news/grav_lens.html
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/galaxies/lensing.html
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/castles/
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1996/10
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050503_grav_lensing.html
http://casswww.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/GLens.html

How about those?  Oh, and how about all those pictures?  Seems to be a lot of pictures of something that you claim can't happen.  Strange...

I have checked each of these pages and none of them contains the term 'geodesic'.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:03:39 AM
What do you think is causing it...?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:04:05 AM
The masses of the celestial bodies. Not all curved paths are geodesics.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:06:20 AM
How is the mass doing it?  Is it reaching out and grabbing it?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: fshy94 on February 10, 2008, 12:07:54 AM
Sorry, but engy's right. Massenergy curves spacetime; mass doesn't have invisible sticky hands to reach out to one another.

And geodesic is the correct term. You can probably find the term on wiki.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:08:38 AM
In a similar way one charge is repelling or atracting another charges. The difference is, mass creates gravitational field around it. Gravitational field is described by the metric tensor in GR. Geodesics are the lines of smallest "length" between two points in space-time.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:11:25 AM
But you said that light does not follow geodesics..
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:12:18 AM
But you said that light does not follow geodesics..

It does not. I was simply explaining to you what geodesics really are.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:13:07 AM
So, then how does light bend around a massive body?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:13:31 AM
Principle of Ferma.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:16:48 AM
So, then how does light bend around a massive body?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:17:39 AM
So, then how does light bend around a massive body?

Principle of Ferma.

Sorry to disturb your narrow mind, but it's true.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:20:23 AM
Sorry to destroy what knowledge you thought you had about GR, but like I said, geodesics.

Now, how about you answer the other questions?  You can answer them, right?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:23:03 AM
Light follows that path in space that is consistent with the Principle of Ferma. That line is not identical to a space geodesic in constant gravitational fields.

The reason:

THE MATH SAYS SO.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:24:53 AM
Right, it follows a null geodesic. 

The reason:

THE MATH SAYS SO.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:25:53 AM
No:

WIKIPEDIA SAYS SO.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:26:43 AM
Wiki says what?



Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:27:21 AM
That you're ignorant?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:29:29 AM
Again, the irony is thick. 

Again, I am still waiting for your answers to the other questions.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:33:24 AM
Remember the field equation I have posted in this thread. For a pure EM field, T = Tii = 0. That means the scalar curvature of space-time R is also zero.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:34:43 AM
And?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:39:39 AM
This is not the case when matter with rest mass diferent from zero is present at that point.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:41:11 AM
And?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:45:08 AM
What about bodies without mass?  Why do you leave them out of having gravity?

What bodies would those be?


Photons and gluons.

Oh, how could I have missed that. Your ignorance is obvious.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:50:18 AM
What is incorrect about that?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:51:00 AM
What is incorrect about that?

You enumerated gluons as particles with zero rest mass, dummy.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:52:45 AM
What is the mass of a gluon?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:53:28 AM
What is the mass of a gluon?

greater than your IQ, when expressed in MeV.  :-*
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:55:49 AM
What is the mass of a gluon?
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:56:21 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: TheEngineer on February 10, 2008, 12:59:12 AM
Just as I thought.  You think you are clever, but you are just ignorant.  You have no idea what you are talking about but you keep on.  That's fine.  You are not the first to take this approach, and you will definitely not be the last.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on February 10, 2008, 01:02:25 AM
LOL.  Now JJ's trying to participate in the debate.  :D

I love it when Engy spars with some clueless noob who assumes that Engy doesn't know what he's talking about.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Loard Z on February 10, 2008, 03:06:16 AM
epic debate
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Althalus on February 10, 2008, 03:14:29 AM
John Jackson won.
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: Loard Z on February 10, 2008, 03:22:46 AM
i call a tie
Title: Re: Gravity and Centrifugal Force do exist!
Post by: John Jackson on February 10, 2008, 12:56:29 PM
Just as I thought.  You think you are clever, but you are just ignorant.  You have no idea what you are talking about but you keep on.  That's fine.  You are not the first to take this approach, and you will definitely not be the last.

When you say photons, it is ambiguous. Why? Well, there are real photons, the quanta of EM radiation that have definite energy and momentum and travel with the speed of light, and virtual photons, the force carriers of electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles. These are called virtual because they cannot be directly observed and their energy and momentum are not connected as for a real photon (E = pc).

When you say bending of light, you are referring to the massless real photons. However, photons are a quantum construct and have no counterpart in classical physics. GR is a classical theory, meaning it is not concerned with quantum effects. In it, EM radiation is treated as a continuous wave phenomenon. In the approximation of geometrical optics, when we can say that light travels along rays, its trajectory is determined by the “Principle of Fermat”.

EM fields contain energy. That’s why they must somehow alter the metric of space-time. However, if there was only an EM field present, the scalar curvature of space-time would be zero. This is not the same as for massive particles.

Gluons are also virtual particles. They are the carriers of the strong nuclear force between the quarks in Quantum Chromo dynamics (QCD). Because there is not a definite relationship between their energy and momentum, they do not have a defined mass, just as the virtual photons. Also, they are a quantum construct and have no meaning in classical physics. So, they are irrelevant to our discussion about GR.