Solar Week - Ask a Question



Come here during Solar Week (next one: March 22-26, 2021) to interact. To post a question, click on your area of interest from the topics below, and then click on the "Ask New Question" button. Or EMAIL or tweet or plant in Answer Garden your question about the Sun or life as a scientist to us -- and watch for it to appear here.  You can also visit our FAQs (frequently asked questions). In between Solar Weeks in October and March, you can view all the archives here.

PrevPrev Go to previous topic
NextNext Go to next topic
Last Post 5/21/2015 8:47 AM by  Kris Sigsbee
Gravitational Field
 1 Replies
Sort:
You are not authorized to post a reply.
Author Messages

Anonymous





Posts:


--
5/20/2015 9:39 AM
    How is it possible for the sun's gravitational field to have its own gravity? How large is it? -Isaias M.
    Tags: sun, Gravity, Mass of the Sun, Weight, Cavendish Experiment

    Kris Sigsbee



    Basic Member


    Posts:415
    Basic Member


    --
    5/21/2015 8:47 AM

    Hi Isaias!

    The Sun has a gravitational field because it has mass. Gravity is a property of anything that has mass. So this means that you and I also have our very own gravitational fields. Of course, because we have much, much, much, much smaller masses than the Sun or the Earth, we do not have planets, moons, or satellites orbiting around us. You can read about an early experiment to measure the force of gravity between two small masses here:

    http://www.aps.org/public...6/physicshistory.cfm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w...Cavendish_experiment

    The mass of the Sun is about 1.9x10^30 kg. Note that mass tells you how much matter is in something and does not change. On the other hand, your weight depends upon where you are because weight is really a measure of the gravitational force attracting you to the ground. Since the Moon has a smaller mass than the Earth, it's gravitational force is weaker and you weigh less on the Moon than you do on Earth.

    Kris

    You are not authorized to post a reply.


    Twitter Feed

    Scientist Leaderboard

    Name # of replies
    Multiverse skin is based on Greytness by Adammer