Astronomers and physicists routinely claim that gravity dominates the large-scale…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
Astronomers and physicists routinely claim that gravity dominates the large-scale structure of the universe even though, for any two isolated elementary particles, the electrostatic force is immensely stronger than the gravitational force.
(a) Describe two distinct physical reasons grounded in fundamental properties of matter that explain why gravitational interactions, not electrostatic interactions, control the motions of stars, galaxies, and larger structures.
(b) Explain how each reason identified in part (a) leads to the effective cancellation or reinforcement of forces on astronomical scales.
(c) Discuss one observable consequence in astrophysics that would differ markedly if large celestial bodies routinely carried a net electric charge comparable in magnitude to their net mass (in SI units).