Is the force of gravity faster than light?
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Is the force of gravity faster than light?
Kopeikin and Fomalont concluded that the speed of gravity is between 0.8 and 1.2 times the speed of light, which would be fully consistent with the theoretical prediction of general relativity that the speed of gravity is exactly the same as the speed of light.
Is Earth’s gravity strong enough to bend light?
Really big curvature of light by gravity occurs near the strange objects called black holes, which were also predicted by General Relativity. So yes, the light ray from your laser will technically be bent by the earth’s gravity. But no, the effect will not be enough to be noticeable.
Why does light bend because of gravity?
While it is true that photons have no mass, it is also true that we see light bend around sources with high mass due to gravity. This is not because the mass pulls on the photons directly, but instead because the mass warps the space-time through which the photons travel.
Does gravity slow down light?
Answer: The short answer is no, the speed of light is unchanged by gravity. If for example light travels from a distant star to Earth and passes by a black hole, the path of the light will get bent as it passes by the black hole, which will lengthen its travel time. The actual speed of light, though, is unchanged.
Does Earth’s gravity affect light?
Yes, light is affected by gravity, but not in its speed. General Relativity (our best guess as to how the Universe works) gives two effects of gravity on light. Gravity bends light by warping space so that what the light beam sees as “straight” is not straight to an outside observer.
How does gravity affect light if Photons have no mass?
You are right that according to Newton’s gravity, the force of gravity on particle that has 0 mass would be zero, and so gravity should not affect light. In fact, according to Newton’s gravity Black holes should not exist: no matter how strong gravity is, light would always be able to escape!
Why is gravity weak?
Gravity is a real weakling – 1040 times weaker than the electromagnetic force that holds atoms together. According to string theorists’ best ideas, gravity is so weak because, unlike the other forces, it leaks in and out of these extra dimensions.