
Gravitation is the phenomenon by which objects with mass attract one another.In everyday life gravitation is the invisible force that creates a body's weight.All planets in the solar system are held by the gravitational attraction of the sun.Gravitation is thus very important for our survival.But how much do you know about it?
Find out ten interesting facts that you may not have known about- Gravitation
1. Difference between gravitation and gravity-
Think they are both the same.Well, they
are not.The terms
gravitation and
gravity are mostly interchangeable in everyday use, but a distinction is made in scientific circles.Gravitation is the force of attraction between any two masses while gravity is the force with which earth attracts objects in its vicinity.Thus in a way,gravity is the gravitation of the earth.
2.Jupiter is 1000 times bigger than earth but acceleration of a body due to gravitational forces on Jupiter's surface is only 2.5 times of that on earth-
A little known fact about Gravitation is that it depends upon masses of two bodies
.The larger the mass the greater the gravitational force.Thus while Jupiter's volume may be 1000 times greater than earth,its mass is only 320 times larger than earth(on account of the low density of Jupiter)
.Therefore,the gravitational force is only 2.5 times that of earth.
3.Can gravitation hold back light-
The answer to this critical question is surprisingly Yes. Black holes are created when light falling on them is held back by the tremendous gravitational force.Thus no light is reflected back and we cannot see these objects as they appear completely black
.It was detected only by sensitive electromagnetic telescope.Thinking whether the earth can be a black hole?It is possible if the earth is compressed to the size of a pea.
4.Our earth determines where it wants to be-
Since gravitation depends upon the mass of a body,the mass of the earth decides its position in the orbit around the sun.If the mass of the earth would have been slightly greater or less than the present mass,the force of attraction between the sun and the earth would change thus changing its orbital position.It would have been a challenge for life forms to live in such a earth.Try cursing your luck next time!!
5.Learn how gravitation is connected with eclipse and how an important theory by Einstein got proved-
We are all fascinated by eclipses.But scientists are more than anxious to view one.One of Einstein's major prediction about connection of gravitation with light got proved this way.He predicted that the sun's gravitational force is strong enough to bend light from distant stars.But this theory could never be proved on a normal day since we cannot see the stars due to the intensity of sun's light.So,scientists adopted a clever approach.They conducted their experiment during an total solar eclipse when the sun was there in the sky and the stars were also visible.The result-Einstein's prediction stood correct and the bending of light was observed.
6.What is graviton-
Although gravity is a force,some scientists consider a hypothetical particle, Graviton to be responsible behind gravity
.Graviton,if exists
would be a massless particle like a photon.The search for graviton is on due to the advancement in the field of quantum mechanics.The String theory also suggests the existence of a particle like graviton.
7.Which force is stronger Gravitation or Magnetism?
The obvious answer to this question would be gravitation.It is because of gravitation that a 1000 ton plane comes crashing towards the earth.The magnets struggle to pull up even a small weight.So, gravitation is more powerful than magnetism,right huh!
You would be an educated sheep to think so.(although i don't blame you.95 out of 100 people would show similar intelligence.)
Electromagnetic force is far more stronger than Gravitational force.The atoms and molecules in elements and compounds are held together by this very force.It is what keeps matter together.Inside the nucleus of an atom,neutrons and protons try to escape from each other.Electromagnetic force keeps them together and binds the nucleus and electrons to form a single entity,an atom.Without Electromagnetic force,the elements and hence matter would come apart.When protons escape this force and come out,a nuclear reaction(or an explosion,depending on the quantity of protons) occurs.Try matching such a force with humble gravity!!
8.What is super weightlessness?

We all know what is weightlessness and many of us dream of floating in a space shuttle.But what is super weightlessness?Well, when a body falls with an acceleration greater than the acceleration due to gravity,then the body would experience this phenomenon.Suppose a man is standing in a lift.Now, if the cables supporting the lift are cut, the lift would free fall and the man would experience weightlessness.In the next case,the lift is driven down by a powerful engine so that it comes down quicker than under gravitational pull.The man's feet would then get detached from the lift's floor and he would ultimately be pressed along the lift's rooftop a.He would hang like spider-man from the rooftop.This is super weightlessness.
9.Gravity and your body?
Do you know that your height decreases by a few millimeters everyday
when you get up from your bed.Yes,you guessed it,the culprit is gravity.The vertebrae of your spinal column relax during your sleep and they stretch,increasing your height.But when you step out of bed,the vertebrae gets compressed due to pull of gravity and your height decreases by a few millimeters.However,don't start hating gravity right away!It fulfills a far more important function.Gravity is responsible for even deposition of minerals in your body,especially in your bones.Without gravity,the calcium in the bones would simply wear away.That is why astronauts undergo routine exercise while staying at the space station.
10.A man jumps into a tunnel dug right through the center of the earth and reaching the opposite side of the planet.What would happen to him?
This question by far the most puzzling.Many would simply believe that the man would simply come out of the hole on the other side of the globe.But that is never the case.The man would reach the center of the earth
where force of attraction is zero and then would just reach the opening of the hole in the opposite side of the globe.But before he can climb out he would be pulled back by gravity towards the center of the earth.The situation would repeat itself and he would move to and fro about the tunnel(like a pendulum).Then finally he would come to rest at the center of the earth due to wind resistance an float there till eternity.(the center of the earth has zero gravitational force of attraction).
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