I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 160: Calculating the Gravitational Constant Through Mirror Reflection

After Raphael had comfortably settled down, another powerful wizard skilled in the magic of force fields curiously inquired.

"Lord Lynn, you mentioned that it is the mass that causes the distortion of space and gives rise to the phenomenon of gravity. Does this mean that only massive celestial bodies possess this characteristic?"

"In fact, Lord Harof's theory on gravity is quite clear. This phenomenon is widespread and exists in everything," replied Lynn calmly.

"Even a grain of sand or a stone?" Lydia raised her hand high, asking a question that left most of those present puzzled.

"Of course!" Lynn nodded and explained, "Just like when you place an object in water, even a grain of sand will inevitably displace the water!"

"Why haven't we ever felt this so-called... attraction caused by spatial distortion?" Rorl couldn't help but stand up, voicing his most perplexing question.

If gravity existed in every object, then theoretically, they should also possess it. So why don't the pebbles on the ground get attracted to them when they walk?

"That's because, compared to our mass, the impact on spacetime is too minuscule. Even a towering mountain barely disturbs spacetime, and it's probably less attractive to you than a passing lady!" Lynn joked.

Among the four fundamental forces, gravity has the most extensive range but is the weakest in terms of its effects.

Rorl found this analogy a bit amusing, but he still asked another important question. "If gravity's influence is so weak, how can we be sure that it exists in everything?"

Only grand wizards can barely sense the subtle changes in the curvature of space, and for regular wizards, understanding spacetime is a matter of pure imagination.

"Lord Rorl, in fact, that's precisely what we need to discuss today!" Lynn clapped his hands, and Jonny, Elok, and others immediately brought over a very intricate experimental apparatus.

It looked like a scale used for weighing heavy objects, but a two-meter steel wire was suspended above it, and at the ends of the balance arms were two small spheres, each weighing one kilogram.

"Is this for weighing something?" The wizards in the audience were puzzled, but this guess was soon dismissed when Lynn instructed Jonny and the others to place two fifty-kilogram iron balls next to the small ones.

Lynn explained, "As I mentioned earlier, universal gravity exists in all objects, and they always attract each other. Although it's incredibly weak, it is not nonexistent; it just requires some special means to observe this disturbance."

"I think you haven't forgotten the pendulum experiment from before. By using a thin and long wire, even the slightest disturbance can be greatly amplified. This apparatus, which I call the 'micro-deformation amplification method,' employs a similar technique."

According to the law of universal gravitation, the large ball exerts a force on the small ball, causing the T-shaped balance to rotate towards the direction of the large ball. The greater the gravity, the larger the rotation angle.

Conversely, by measuring the angle of rotation of the steel wire, the force acting on the ends of the balance arm can be calculated.

With Lynn's explanation, the group of wizards became very interested in this compact and clever device, closely observing it.

"Do you see anything, Pearce?" Elok stared intently at the small ball hanging from the balance arm and, after a while, could not see any disturbance. He looked at his companion, asking quietly.

"Of course, just as the professor said, the small sphere is gradually being pulled closer due to the gravity of the large sphere..." Pearce nodded, pretending to be observant. However, like Elok, his eyes were tired, and he couldn't see any changes.

But since the professor said this method works, it must be correct!

The wizards in the hall were all looking at the balls, and besides Harof, Raphael, and a few others who could see the slight movement of the suspended wire, the rest were baffled. A male wizard couldn't contain his impatience and stood up, directly asking, "Lord Lynn, has your experiment begun?"

Lynn nodded and casually said, "Just wait for another minute, and you'll see!"

Seeing Lynn so confident, the impatient wizards on the field had no choice but to continue waiting.

The hands of the magical clock soon crossed twelve o'clock! The sun was high above, and its rays shone directly down.

At the same moment, Lynn picked up an exceptionally small glass mirror and reflected the sunlight that poured in through the skylight onto the long steel wire.

Only then did many wizards notice that the center of the steel wire was also suspended by a strange round mirror. After the sunlight was reflected onto the central part of the mirror, it was again reflected onto the scale on the opposite side.

"I see it! It's moving; that point of light is moving!" Lydia shouted loudly.

In fact, there was no need for Lydia's reminder this time. Everyone could see it clearly. The point of light reflected on the scale was slowly moving to the right, turning from zero to one degree.

"Could this be caused by the Earth's axial precession?" A witch suddenly interjected, dampening the excitement.

Rorl and the others also immediately thought of this possibility.

Yes, could it be that the Earth's axial precession is affecting the slow movement of the small ball, just like the pendulum experiment earlier?

Lynn didn't reply but instead moved the large ball, which had originally been on the right side of the small ball, to the left. After a while, the point of light changed direction, moving to the left, slowly returning to zero.

Seeing this incredibly miraculous scene, everyone's doubts were completely dispelled, leaving only astonishment!

Even the most critical and skeptical individuals could not deny the existence of universal gravity. After all, the point of light did not move randomly but changed according to the position of the large ball.

So without a doubt, this was the influence of gravity! The attraction generated by the phenomenon of spacetime distortion!

Compared to the other wizards who were amazed by the theory of universal gravity, Harof was more interested in the intricacies of the experiment itself.

The gravitational force of a fifty-kilogram iron ball was almost negligible, yet Lynn used a long pendulum arm to magnify this tiny influence and, afterward, a beam of light to further magnify it, making the almost imperceptible distortion of spacetime clearly visible before their eyes!

Harof couldn't help but express the same admiration as Raphael. What kind of mind could conceive such a brilliant method?

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