In the early 12th century, countries would create large machines called trebuchets capable of throwing large objects at the defense. During the sieges throughout the century, trebuchets were dominant and were the method of victory and certain penetration of defenses. With the invention of gunpowder, the trebuchets usefulness dissipated to a mere entertainment value. With modern day technology, the trebuchet is deemed very obsolete and unnecessary. However, the mechanics that drove the trebuchets ability to hurl humongous objects as if they were small stones is very much a significant part in modern society. The potential energy stored when the trebuchet is initiating its launch is called gravitational potential energy, which is later converted to kinetic energy, which is what we see when the projectile is launched. Applications of this concept date back to the 12th century but are still a very significant part in modern society with its use in multiple inventions that have been used to better communities and entire civilizations. Gravity is a resource that is easily utilized when applied to the right mechanics, and as humans, we have a knack for invention and innovation. With these two qualities, we’ve managed to harness the weakest of the four fundamental forces and use it to our advantage.
Gravity is a constant force that is applied evenly to every part of our earth regardless of mass. The difference between how objects are affected by gravity is dependent on more than just the variable of mass; it takes in aerodynamics, wind resistance and surface area. However, every object can be affected in the same way as far as applying concepts such as gravitational potential energy and the rate at which objects fall. Although objects of different mass placed at the same height will result in a different amount gravitational potential energy being stored, the rate at which any of those objects fall will always be the same. This is because of the previously made point that gravity is constant and acts on all objects equally. Humans use this to their advantage and have found it to be more than possible to use that simple law to their advantage by applying it to inventions that are used in society.
Arguably the most significant and beneficial application of gravity is its ability to keep hundreds of satellites in orbit around our planet. Satellites’ purposes include communication, navigation, space exploration, search and rescue, atmospheric studies and countless others. What gravity does in order for use to use the satellites without fear of them getting lost in space is pull the devices toward earth .Combined with the satellites constant motion, this creates orbit. The satellites; inertia push it in a certain direction, and since earth’s gravity is constant, it creates a circular orbit for the satellite to continuously follow during the course of the day. Without the constant orbiting of our communication satellite, cell phones wouldn’t exist and we’d be forced to resort back to other, less efficient, methods of communication. Modern day society literally depends on satellites for their live to function as seamlessly as we’re accustomed to. Devices like the iPhone demonstrate how easy it is to obtain information you need, whether it’s directions to a destination or random knowledge desired by the user. All of these functions are a result of the countless satellites in our orbit. In this way, gravity is used as a force to pull objects toward it because of the earth’s immense mass.
The tides throughout our oceans are also a result of our earth’s gravity. Aside from keeping our water in constant motion, tides have served a purpose in creating more sustainable energy. Tidal power is a form of hydropower that concerts the tide’s kinetic energy to other forms of energy, usually electricity. Sustainable energy is one of the most difficult problems to address and most highly prioritized amongst government officials whose job it is to maintain our constantly damaged environment while still producing the necessities for their community. Other alternatives such as solar and wind power are two prominent sources of renewable energy that we utilize on a much larger scale than we currently utilize with tidal power. Although not popular throughout the world, tidal power has zero waste byproduct and takes place as a natural occurrence because of the gravitational effects of our moon and sun. However, as technology advances, its availability increases and therefore produces more electricity. In the future, this gravity powered source of electricity can be the most widely used method of renewable energy.
Another widely used application of gravity, although not as essential as the previous two, is the roller coaster. Roller coasters are often taken to the top of a very high, and steep, hill, usually the highest point of the entire track; it rolls off and, at that point, has gained enough gravitational potential energy to be converted into the required amount of kinetic energy that will propel the coaster to the end of the track. Roller coasters serve little purpose besides entertainment value and a demonstration of how we can use a natural force of our planet to serve some of our necessities in life. Kingda Ka, the world’s largest and fastest roller coaster, depends on this very concept in order to carry it across its 950 meter track. The highest point of the track is an incredible 129 meters, which, when using the gravitational potential energy formula, gives it a total of over 11.3 million joules of energy. No doubt, gravity can take only half credit for this record breaking coaster’s performance because it takes a great amount of speed to get it 139 meters in the air to begin with, but the fact that the speed is regained solely by the works of gravity is proof that we’ve utilized gravity in a way that is both beneficial and revolutionary. When combined with a little adventure and extremity, gravity can excite and impress across the globe.
A theory that depends largely on gravitational potential energy that has been deemed illogical and highly unreachable is the theory of perpetual motion. The ideas associated with perpetual motion state that a device, or series of devices, can produce enough energy to power it for the purpose of producing more energy… to power itself etc. There have been multiple ideas on how to go about this, and many of them include the works of gravity. One idea is the water spout that is connected to a container in which that water spout refills, in order to fill itself again. Others have to do with a wheel and multiple weights attached so that gravity pushes one down with enough force to carry the one before it down with enough force to carry the one before that one down, and so on and so forth. However, if all the weights were the same, it’d be impossible for one of them to be affected any more by gravity than the other. Nonetheless, even if these ideas did indeed work, there is no exterior load in which the machine can power. These are all self-powering devices. With that being said, I believe gravity will play a role in achieving the discovery of a machine that can produce enough power to maintain its requirement to continue working as well as another device. Back before the 20th century, it was deemed witchcraft and supernatural for an object with the mass of 3000 to remain in the air as it flew across the sky. Flight was to the 20th century and before, as perpetual motion is to us now.
Gravity’s applications range from entertainment devices such as roller coasters to maybe the world’s opportunity to limitless energy. As a natural force of our planet, we will constantly be finding new ways to manipulate and utilize it to our advantage. Humans are still evolving, and as we evolve, we will discover more ways to exercise the natural forces Mother Nature has given us.
Gravity is a constant force that is applied evenly to every part of our earth regardless of mass. The difference between how objects are affected by gravity is dependent on more than just the variable of mass; it takes in aerodynamics, wind resistance and surface area. However, every object can be affected in the same way as far as applying concepts such as gravitational potential energy and the rate at which objects fall. Although objects of different mass placed at the same height will result in a different amount gravitational potential energy being stored, the rate at which any of those objects fall will always be the same. This is because of the previously made point that gravity is constant and acts on all objects equally. Humans use this to their advantage and have found it to be more than possible to use that simple law to their advantage by applying it to inventions that are used in society.
Arguably the most significant and beneficial application of gravity is its ability to keep hundreds of satellites in orbit around our planet. Satellites’ purposes include communication, navigation, space exploration, search and rescue, atmospheric studies and countless others. What gravity does in order for use to use the satellites without fear of them getting lost in space is pull the devices toward earth .Combined with the satellites constant motion, this creates orbit. The satellites; inertia push it in a certain direction, and since earth’s gravity is constant, it creates a circular orbit for the satellite to continuously follow during the course of the day. Without the constant orbiting of our communication satellite, cell phones wouldn’t exist and we’d be forced to resort back to other, less efficient, methods of communication. Modern day society literally depends on satellites for their live to function as seamlessly as we’re accustomed to. Devices like the iPhone demonstrate how easy it is to obtain information you need, whether it’s directions to a destination or random knowledge desired by the user. All of these functions are a result of the countless satellites in our orbit. In this way, gravity is used as a force to pull objects toward it because of the earth’s immense mass.
The tides throughout our oceans are also a result of our earth’s gravity. Aside from keeping our water in constant motion, tides have served a purpose in creating more sustainable energy. Tidal power is a form of hydropower that concerts the tide’s kinetic energy to other forms of energy, usually electricity. Sustainable energy is one of the most difficult problems to address and most highly prioritized amongst government officials whose job it is to maintain our constantly damaged environment while still producing the necessities for their community. Other alternatives such as solar and wind power are two prominent sources of renewable energy that we utilize on a much larger scale than we currently utilize with tidal power. Although not popular throughout the world, tidal power has zero waste byproduct and takes place as a natural occurrence because of the gravitational effects of our moon and sun. However, as technology advances, its availability increases and therefore produces more electricity. In the future, this gravity powered source of electricity can be the most widely used method of renewable energy.
Another widely used application of gravity, although not as essential as the previous two, is the roller coaster. Roller coasters are often taken to the top of a very high, and steep, hill, usually the highest point of the entire track; it rolls off and, at that point, has gained enough gravitational potential energy to be converted into the required amount of kinetic energy that will propel the coaster to the end of the track. Roller coasters serve little purpose besides entertainment value and a demonstration of how we can use a natural force of our planet to serve some of our necessities in life. Kingda Ka, the world’s largest and fastest roller coaster, depends on this very concept in order to carry it across its 950 meter track. The highest point of the track is an incredible 129 meters, which, when using the gravitational potential energy formula, gives it a total of over 11.3 million joules of energy. No doubt, gravity can take only half credit for this record breaking coaster’s performance because it takes a great amount of speed to get it 139 meters in the air to begin with, but the fact that the speed is regained solely by the works of gravity is proof that we’ve utilized gravity in a way that is both beneficial and revolutionary. When combined with a little adventure and extremity, gravity can excite and impress across the globe.
A theory that depends largely on gravitational potential energy that has been deemed illogical and highly unreachable is the theory of perpetual motion. The ideas associated with perpetual motion state that a device, or series of devices, can produce enough energy to power it for the purpose of producing more energy… to power itself etc. There have been multiple ideas on how to go about this, and many of them include the works of gravity. One idea is the water spout that is connected to a container in which that water spout refills, in order to fill itself again. Others have to do with a wheel and multiple weights attached so that gravity pushes one down with enough force to carry the one before it down with enough force to carry the one before that one down, and so on and so forth. However, if all the weights were the same, it’d be impossible for one of them to be affected any more by gravity than the other. Nonetheless, even if these ideas did indeed work, there is no exterior load in which the machine can power. These are all self-powering devices. With that being said, I believe gravity will play a role in achieving the discovery of a machine that can produce enough power to maintain its requirement to continue working as well as another device. Back before the 20th century, it was deemed witchcraft and supernatural for an object with the mass of 3000 to remain in the air as it flew across the sky. Flight was to the 20th century and before, as perpetual motion is to us now.
Gravity’s applications range from entertainment devices such as roller coasters to maybe the world’s opportunity to limitless energy. As a natural force of our planet, we will constantly be finding new ways to manipulate and utilize it to our advantage. Humans are still evolving, and as we evolve, we will discover more ways to exercise the natural forces Mother Nature has given us.