How does gravity actualy work?

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: Hav0k99
Has the method of it's existence ever been proven or is it all theory?

There are some theories involving the term gravity which describe some observations more or less approximately.

What do you mean by "existence"?

 

[everman]

I always thought it was some kind of effect due to the mass of an object causing spacetime to curve, a "steeper" curve leading to a greater gravity effect. If you have more mass concentrated in a smaller space you have a steeper curve than if the same mass was distributed out further. Of course I have no idea why this curvature would actually cause a gravity-like effect.

 

[Hav0k99]

Originally posted by: CSMR

Originally posted by: Hav0k99
Has the method of it's existence ever been proven or is it all theory?

There are some theories involving the term gravity which describe some observations more or less approximately.

What do you mean by "existence"?

I mean we know it exists but how?

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: everman
I always thought it was some kind of effect due to the mass of an object causing spacetime to curve, a "steeper" curve leading to a greater gravity effect. If you have more mass concentrated in a smaller space you have a steeper curve than if the same mass was distributed out further. Of course I have no idea why this curvature would actually cause a gravity-like effect.

It's because objects follow straight paths in spacetime. If you curve the space, the path is curved. A curved path means acceleration, and due to the equivalence principle (acceleration = gravity) this means you feel a gravitational effect.

The concept actually was developed in the opposite direction though. Einstein postulated the equivalence principle, then decided that gravity meant a curved path through spacetime, and thus massive objects curve spacetime.