Science > Physics > Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces
| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"Greg Heath" |
| Date: |
03 Aug 2007 09:32:46 PM |
| Object: |
Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
TIA,
Greg Heath
.
|
|
| User: "Uncle Al" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
04 Aug 2007 03:22:00 PM |
|
|
Greg Heath wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
What has been posted plus both are assumed to be monopole point
sources. The field of infinite straight line of charge or mass only
varies as 1/r. A dipole varies as 1/r^3.
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Sam Wormley" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
03 Aug 2007 10:21:37 PM |
|
|
Greg Heath wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
Inverse-square law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law
Gauss's law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27s_law
Graphical Derivation of the Inverse-Square Law of Gravitation from an
Elliptic Orbit and Kepler's Law of Areas
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1960AmJPh..28..254B
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Eric Gisse" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
03 Aug 2007 09:55:58 PM |
|
|
On Aug 3, 6:32 pm, Greg Heath <he...@alumni.brown.edu> wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
Gauss' law.
TIA,
Greg Heath
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Douglas Eagleson" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
04 Aug 2007 04:05:01 PM |
|
|
On Aug 3, 7:32 pm, Greg Heath <he...@alumni.brown.edu> wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
TIA,
Greg Heath
It is a fairly difficult thing. Somewhere the inverse square law must
be related. Yours is a hard question.
We find the forces following a geometric field. BUt why?
All sorts of propositions might be made.
Here is my odd one:
All E as electric field has a right handed M, magnetic field. Why are
they at EXACTLY 90 degrees? It was like magic geometry. EXACTLY 90
DEGREES!!!!
And so I can only figure that some rules of geometry are real easy,
like exactly 90 degrees.
Why does 90 degrees quite nicely cause the inverse square? "A point
charge must cause the magnetic field."
Without inverse square relationship a 90 degree field would not exist
for the point charge!
Strange world physics.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Douglas Eagleson" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
04 Aug 2007 04:06:05 PM |
|
|
On Aug 4, 2:05 pm, Douglas Eagleson <eaglesondoug...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Aug 3, 7:32 pm, Greg Heath <he...@alumni.brown.edu> wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
TIA,
Greg Heath
It is a fairly difficult thing. Somewhere the inverse square law must
be related. Yours is a hard question.
We find the forces following a geometric field. BUt why?
All sorts of propositions might be made.
Here is my odd one:
All E as electric field has a right handed M, magnetic field. Why are
they at EXACTLY 90 degrees? It was like magic geometry. EXACTLY 90
DEGREES!!!!
And so I can only figure that some rules of geometry are real easy,
like exactly 90 degrees.
Why does 90 degrees quite nicely cause the inverse square? "A point
charge must cause the magnetic field."
Without inverse square relationship a 90 degree field would not exist
for the point charge!
Strange world physics.
This may be Gauss's Law in effect, but the cause is a relation, not
the theory.
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "John C. Polasek" |
|
| Title: Re: Explanation for existence of inverse square law forces |
04 Aug 2007 06:57:56 PM |
|
|
On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:32:46 -0700, Greg Heath
<heath@alumni.brown.edu> wrote:
Is there an explanation for why gravitational or electrostatic
forces obey an inverse square distance law?
TIA,
Greg Heath
Sure. It's clear in electrostatics where a point charge's influence is
spread over the area 4pi*r^2.
It's not so clear in Newton's gravity = mMG/r^2 because he left off
the 4pi part which is hidden in his gravity constant, G,
His omission raises questions like yours and can tempt a neophyte to
tinker with the exponent 2 a little bit to explain some relativistic
effect.
He should have used G' = 4piG which would let him use 4pi in the
denominator.
John Polasek
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
