Gravity Bowling Ball Rubber Sheet

This comic refers to a common analogy used to explain how mass distorts space time a bowling ball resting on a sheet of rubber distorts the sheet due to its weight.

Gravity bowling ball rubber sheet. The typical rubber sheet bowling ball analogy to explain gravity visually in layman s terms always seems to be two space dimensions. The rubber sheet analogy only works even for the orbits if you assume that the orbiting object tends to want to roll down hill in the dip made by the bowling ball. The rubber sheet analogy fails massively in one area any demonstration of it involves gravity on earth. This is a force diagram showing the two objects.

This is nothing at all like the way general relativity works. But a ball rolls on a surface because gravity is pulling it down. It s often misused to show that mass warps spacetime 895. It isn t just warped space that s involved it is warped space time.

General relativity requires a curvature of space time not just space. The distortions in the rubber sheet representing the distortions in space and time. Since i read cosmos long ago i see the same analogy about the balls rolling on a rubber sheet used to explain how gravity works. In space it will follow a straight line and go over any hole on the surface.

In the classic classroom rubber sheet demonstration the marble rolls toward the bowling ball because the earth s gravity causes it to roll down hill. Why don t we use one dimension of space and the other of time. The bowling ball has a greater mass so it also has a greater gravitational force. Teaching physics the next part of the original analogy explains a black hole.

Both are curved by mass and everybody takes eucledean cartesian type flat graphs of say x and t as a matter of course. Hd is short for high density which lowers the rg and raises the differential of the weight block. Just placing an object somewhere in that dip will result in it rolling down the slope towards the bowling ball. I have never like it as an analogy either.

This shape can power through just about anything. The gravity of the situation. The system has some qualitative features in common with gravity. A higher differential translates to more flare potential so every time the ball makes a rotation it exposes a fresh portion of coverstock material to the oil.

In the cartoon image of einstein s explanation of gravity a rubber sheet is pulled tight and a bowling ball is placed in the middle.