Question

If you look at the Theory of Gravity (Eq. 6.40) and Coulomb’s Law (Eq. 18.3), they are very similar, with masses replacing charges in the equations. Look at them to see this for yourself.   Someone claims that since electric charges can repel, you can levitate stuff with them – this claim is actually true. But, this person then goes on to claim that this means antigravity must exist and there should be some way to levitate masses just like charges. What’s wrong with this argument and what fallacies of argument are connected to this claim?

Create a concept map connecting the ideas of this claim to any fallacies you find. Add any other concepts needed. Take a pic of it and upload it with this assessment.

Answer 1

lets understand the given question in detail.

As we know that according to gravitational law -  

and according to coulomb's law-

where, Gand K are constants

Asit is quite known that , if antigravity exists than it would violate gravitational law as well as principal of conservation of energy.

"a recent research has been carried out in which spinning of superconducting ring supported in a magnetic field. objects placed above the ring have found to lose their 2-3% of their weight, irrespective of their composition." { or we can consider any forces other than the magnetic forces , used to lavitate masses just like charges, by some person as mentioned in the question}  

consider the Pic below to understand schematically. (fig-1)

But to contradict this phenominon of antigravity

Firstly, according to theory of relativity, gravity is a curvature of space time caused by presence of mass (or energy). and this curvature can't be turned off by imposing additional electric or magnetic forces.

Secondly, if we consider the different percepective to deal with this, although it is acceptable that an equal and opposite force, of magnetic origin is induced in the material above the ring, and this force partlly offsets the pull of gravity on that material. But we haven't considered the measurement error. or poor control of the many variables in the experiment. what about the purity of the material? was the balancing instrument affected by this magnetic field below it? How precisely the magnetic field of the material was measured above it?   Hence with this incomplete details, one can't draw any conclusion about the antigravity.

Similarly , without detailed explanation about the experiment forinstance- the measurement error, purity of the masses, variables considered , etc. by the person who is claming the statement. we can't say anything about antigravity

fig-1