"The gravitational effect of an extended body on a point outside its convex hull is the same as if all its mass were concentrated at its center of gravity." )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )-: )- : )-: )-:
The absurdity of this is evident from comparing the force at the origin due to aligned unit masses at distances 1 and 3, vs a two-unit mass at
reminds me of (Larry Niven's?) SF-tale "Neutron Star" where the late realisation of tidal effects came to be deadly. Wouter ----- Original Message ----- From: "R. William Gosper" <rwg@spnet.com> To: <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 10:00 PM Subject: [math-fun] totient blooper, segment arc, pestilent vectors 2. Otherwise,
masscons would not perturb lunar orbits, and the oblateness of the Sun would not contribute to the precession of Mercury. --rwg
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