this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2023
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(To be clear, I'm more interested in the reach and scaling of gravity.)

If we were to suddenly double earth's mass, but not it's size, would it's field double in size (I assume strength as well), to the extent that if I were to measure this increased gravity at the same place I measured earth's normal gravity, it would simply be double? If so, the least measurable point of both gravitates should also be the same?

Just wondering if there's diminishing returns or if mass and density affects a gravity field the same regardless of whether it's an asteroid or a billion Solar Masses.

Feel free to share any views I'm not taking into account in regards to gravity fields.

Thanks

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[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (7 children)

From my layman perspective, yes the measured gravity would be double it's original value if measured from the same place.

Gravity is an [edit: inverse squares] function, so it gets weaker at an exponential rate as you move away from the source. But even if it's a value of 1.0 at Earth's surface and .02 at some distant point from Earth, doubling Earth's gravity would double both values to 2.0 and .04, respectively.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Gravity is not exponential. It is linear with mass and inverse square with distance.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hey @[email protected]

This one, @[email protected], has the correct answer...

So, don't believe in the crackpot idea that it would be exponential

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Whoops! I said exponential instead of inverse squared. What a crackpot I am.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

~~I did make~~ I have made many mistakes, much worse than this one and on many occasions. I would say : don't be so hard on yourself since it's important to forgive ourselves.

I do believe the following correction should be made again to your text though :

Gravity is an [edit: inverse squared] function, so it gets weaker at ~~an exponential~~ a squared rate as you move away from the source.

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