Page 178 - Design in Nature

176 DESIGN IN NATURE

Newton’s law of gravitation states that the force of the gravitational
attraction between objects depends on their masses and the distance
between them. Hence, if the distance between two stars is increased three
times, the gravitational force is
decreased by a factor of nine, or if
the distance is decreased to half, the
force of gravity is increased four
times.
This law helps explain the
current positions of the earth, moon
and planets. If the law of gravitation
were different, for example, if the
gravitational force were increased as
the distance increased, the orbits of
the planets would not be elliptical
and they would collapse into the
sun. If it were weaker, the earth
would be set on a course steadily
away from the sun. So, if the force of
gravity did not have precisely the
value it does, the earth would either
collide with the sun or be lost in the
depths of space.

What if Planck’s Constant
were Different?
We encounter different forms
of energy all the time. For instance, even the heat that we sense in front of
the fire has been created with intricate balances.
In physics, energy is assumed to radiate not as a wave but in small
particular amounts called “quanta”. In calculating the radiant energy, a
certain unchanging value called Planck’s Constant is used. This number is
generally small enough to be considered negligible. This number is one of
the fundamental and unchanging indices in nature, which is approximately
-34
expressed as 6.626x10 . In any situation involving radiation, if the energy of