Difference between electric and gravitational forces?

Answer 1

Gravitation is much weaker, and it always attracts.

add Gravity can be considered as a property of matter, or at least of the curvature of space-time. Gravitation Wavesare believed to travel at the velocity of light. Wikipedia has an article "speed of gravity".

Various scientists are attempting to detect Gravitation Waves from rotating stellar objects, but so far without success. Forces in Newtonian Physics propagate at infinite velocity, hence the interest in this definitive experiment.

Have a crack at the Introduction paragraph of Gravitation Waves above. And Gravitons.

Definitely one of the Fun Parts of Physics.

{not to be confused with Gravity Waves, which are Earth-bound waves on the ocean and similar.}

Electric forces are due to the presence of electrons. If the electrons are moving, you have an electric current, and this can generate a magnetic field.

[Even if there is no electric current, the electrons actually spin in their natural state, and if a number of electrons have a similar spin, then you may have a permanent magnet.] [Posit. Do all the electrons in a current have similar spin?].

One may establish a surplus number of electrons on an insulating surface, and this static electric field will repel a similar field.

Answer 2

Two huge differences: 1). The electrostatic force per unit Q2 exceeds the gravitational force per unit M2 by a factor of almost 1040. 2). Positive and negative Q exist, leading to attractive and/or repulsive electrostatic force; but negative mass does not exist, and gravitational force is always attractive.

Answer 3

* Electric force involves electrical charges, gravitational force involves masses.

* There are two opposite types of electrical charges (traditionally called "positive" and "negative"); there is only one type of what we might call "gravitational charge".

* A related point is that electrical forces can be attractive or repulsive. The gravitational force is always attractive.

Answer 4

Gravitational force depends on mass, but electric force does not.