Where Does Gravity Come From?

“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”

It’s one of Albert Einstein’s most famous quotes, yet it’s more tongue in cheek than scientifically informative. So how does gravity work, and where does it come from? It’s a complex concept, and one that both Einstein and fellow scholar Isaac Newton channelled their hearts and souls into unravelling.

Gravity is at work all around us… When we jump and land back on the ground, that’s gravity. When we drop a book, throw a ball or cruise downhill on a bicycle, gravity is also at play. Without the force of gravity, Earthbound matter would simply float off into the atmosphere. In a broader context, gravity is upheld for keeping the moon in orbit, and even playing a role in forming the universe itself. It’s science on a massive scale, and the truth is that exactly how gravity operates is still something of a mystery. That said, there are some formidable theories to consider…

Newton’s gravity

An English physicist and mathematician, Isaac Newton maintained that gravity is the force of attraction between any two objects. He asserts that the relationship between a pair of objects is defined by their mass, as well as the distance between them. Gravitational forces are strongest between high mass objects with short distances between them.   

Einstein’s theory of relativity

German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein went down in history for putting forward his theory of relativity. He affirms that gravity is more than a force, but a curvature in the space-time continuum. In simple terms, the theory describes how the mass of an object actively causes the space around it to curve and bend. While the human eye can’t see this curvature of space, it can be detected when observing the motions of objects. For example, a coin spiralling down a cyclone machine, or a bicycle speeding around a velodrome.

Not only does gravity anchor life as we know it, but it also plays an important role in laboratory research. ‘The Power of Spectroscopy – Moving Out of the Lab to Resolve Production and Processing Challenges’ explains how scientists are able to measure the interaction between samples and light in order to make observations about chemical composition and characteristics. Spectroscopy applications solutions developer Ocean Optics has created a revolutionary new system that demonstrates the range of spectroscopy techniques, from Raman analysis to reflection measurement. A quirky creation, engineers placed 3,000 brightly coloured gumballs in a large hopper, which feeds balls through a gravity-driven system of stainless steel rails.