Physics

Anti-gravity – a hypothetical force

Anti-gravity – a hypothetical force

Anti-gravity is the antithesis of gravity; a hypothetical force by which a body of positive mass would repel a body of negative mass. It also is known as a non-gravitational field is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It is a hypothetical effect resulting from the cancellation or reduction of a gravitational field. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift. It is the concept of negating the force of gravity.

Antigravity technology would revolutionize space exploration and energy production. It is a hypothetical effect resulting from the cancellation or reduction of a gravitational field.

Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center. The force of gravity keeps all of the planets in orbit around the sun. Anti-gravity is a recurring concept in science fiction, particularly in the context of spacecraft propulsion. It is acting against the force of gravity. Examples are the gravity blocking substance “Cavorite” in H. G. Wells’s The First Men in the Moon and the Spindizzy machines in James Blish’s Cities in Flight.

One of the most astonishing facts about science is how universally applicable the laws of nature are. Every particle obeys the same rules, experiences the same forces, and sees the same fundamental constants, no matter where or when they exist. Anti-gravity is one of those controversial subjects that some say is more in the realm of science fiction than science fact with many physicists saying it’s just not theoretically possible while others are busy trying to find theories that would allow it to be possible. Gravitationally, every single entity in the Universe experiences, depending on how you look at it, either the same gravitational acceleration or the same curvature of spacetime, no matter what properties it possesses. Earth’s gravity is what keeps you on the ground and what makes things fall.

“Anti-gravity” is often used to refer to devices that look as if they reverse gravity even though they operate through other means, such as lifters, which fly in the air by moving air with electromagnetic fields. Antigravity technology would revolutionize space exploration and energy production. It would slash the energy demands of travel and transportation. First, however, we’d just have to drastically alter our understanding of physics and figure out how to counter this powerful force.

What’s commonly misconstrued is that while anti-gravity is the nullification of gravity, it is not repulsive gravity or negative gravity. Earth’s gravity comes from all its mass. All its mass makes a combined gravitational pull on all the mass in your body. That’s what gives you weight. Gravity plates and compensators as envisioned in contemporary science fiction also are not anti-gravity.