Gravitation: a tricky puzzle...

There are two air bubbles (fully submerged) inside a container filled with water. Considering only gravitational force, explain whether they will get attracted or repelled. (Surface tension, etc not to be considered...only gravitation).
Hint: I think it is somewhat related to gravitational potential energy...

5 Answers

62
Lokesh Verma ·

try doing this...

take a shell of mass m. (i mean only a thin shell)

The filed due to this can be taken as the field due to this shell lfilled till inside... minus the field due to the filling material inside...

If there is another such thing .. then there will be same phenomenon.. the inside mass will thus attract each other..

Is this the correct explanation? (I think it is!)

9
Celestine preetham ·

hmm

i think theyll be pushed away

see only water has mass they get attracted towards centre of gravity pushin away airbubbles

1
Shreyan ·

nishant bhaiya, i cudn't clearly get this: The filed due to this can be taken as the field due to this shell lfilled till inside... minus the field due to the filling material inside...
do you mean that i consider the bubbles as two cavities inside a solid material??? but then what??

celestine, gud point! i think ur answer is correct....but not very sure.

actually, i asked this question to two physics teachers, and both of them gave opposite answers...!

1
Philip Calvert ·

I think they will attract
as its just a half thought tukka don't expect an explanation

Tukka means guess [4]

62
Lokesh Verma ·

dont rely on my answer on this one.. even i made a wild guess..

but i see a lot of merit in celestine's answer...

I am almost sure that it is correct :)

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