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Why does gravity exist? Does it really even exist?

Gravity, I understand is the fundamental attraction between two objects, but what causes this force? has there ever been any explanation or is the fundamental principle which keeps us all tethered to this planet based on absolutely nothing other than the fact we see it happens?

If we don't know what causes gravity, how can we know anything about ... anything? what makes us so sure gravity has always existed?

Update:

Hmm, well I ment this..

There is seemingly no energy related to gravity. For example if something enters a gravitational field by floating through a vacuum persay.. like a comet being pulled into a planet.. what exactly causes this? It seems to me like every other force in the world has something acting on it directly.. like wind pushing tree leaves, ice melting in heat.. that type of thing.. it can all be explained with energy transfer, but gravity cannot be explained this way, atleast not by me I might just be ignorant of it. It doesn't make any sense to me

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Gravity happens to be the least well understood of the four fundamental forces. That being said, its based on observations, as are all other phenomena, there's nothing else to base it off of really (or anything else for that matter).

    Furthermore, we don't actually 'KNOW' about anything. All we have are (empirical) guesses (usually called theories), and occasionally 'laws' (which are usually backed up with a bit of rigorous math) which are always true as long as the theory that they are based off of is correct.

    Even still, Newtons 'Laws' are now known to be invalid under certain circumstances (and they are actually the beginnings of our understanding of gravity). Similarly, all other theories (and laws) which we've developed could be uprooted in the future, depending on what new discoveries are made.

    Nowadays, general relatively is the best known theory for gravity. As well, we have particle physicists who are really just making up random theories hoping to find one that 'fits' reality (for a unified theory). Once the LHC is up and running, we may finally have a way to test all of these theories and therefore we may find a new theory that better describes gravity (among other things).

    EDIT: As far as your 'additional details' question is concerned, gravity is currently explained as a distortion of space (and time since they are linked). So it's not so much a force that pushes or pulls on an object, rather it is that the object simply follows the curvature of space, which is distorted by large masses. Similarly, light which has no mass, is bent by gravity, as it follows a 'straight' path through space (if space is bent though, the 'straight' path will bend as well).

    If you'd like a better explanation, you can look up 'general relativity' (on google or anywhere else really).

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    Does Gravity Exist

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    This Site Might Help You.

    RE:

    Why does gravity exist? Does it really even exist?

    Gravity, I understand is the fundamental attraction between two objects, but what causes this force? has there ever been any explanation or is the fundamental principle which keeps us all tethered to this planet based on absolutely nothing other than the fact we see it happens?

    If we don't know...

    Source(s): gravity exist exist: https://biturl.im/9SF7n
  • 1 decade ago

    Life on earth would be impossible without gravity--no air to breathe, no water to drink, for openers. Life has, according to the most respected experts on the subject, existed on the earth for millions of years.

    Whether gravity has always existed is a question that doesn't have a provable answer and doesn't require one. Like the existence of a Supreme Being. If your inability to know what causes gravity is an impediment to knowing anything about anything, as your question suggests, it is fortunate that not many people have this unusual problem. Gravity exists. Live with it.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I am absolutely sure that you believe gravity exists. I doubt that you would be silly enough to jump off a tall building hoping that gravity was just imaginary and that you could wish yourself into not falling.

    Has gravity always existed? There is a very high probability that it has been around since the first microsecond of the existence of our universe.

    As to the statement that we don't know what causes gravity, I must say that you need some more science and mathematics to understand general relativity.

  • 4 years ago

    1

    Source(s): Law of Attraction http://lawofattraction.teres.info/?sG4R
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Study Newtons Law.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    So.... what exactly was wrong with explaining principles "based on absolutely nothing other than the fact we see it happens?"

    On what else exactly should we be basing our science, pray tell?

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