Darkness?
Raphael and the others paused for a moment, and then all the lights in the hall disappeared, leaving only the skylight on the roof still emitting a faint glow, shining down on the platform.
Everyone's attention naturally focused, and Lynn's figure quickly appeared before them, a faint smile on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's magical symposium. Thank you for taking the time to attend."
The previously noisy symposium hall immediately turned into a lively scene, with all sorts of discussions, and some even shouted loudly.
"Lynn, I have a few questions about the method you proposed for calculating the angle between the Earth's core. Also, what do you mean by cube, square, and square root?"
"What is the radius and volume of our planet? Is it 86,000 billion cubic kilometers or 12,300 billion cubic kilometers?"
"Lynn, when you mentioned weighing the planet, is it done using some special magic or a method similar to measuring the circumference?"
A variety of questions followed, with some wizards curious about the weighing method, while others wanted to confirm the accuracy of their calculations.
Calculating, while not too difficult for wizards with good mathematical minds, varied in proficiency among individuals. Combined with the vast amount of data about the planet, even a slight error in the calculations could lead to vastly different results.
So, after two days of fermentation, thousands of wizards had managed to produce several different answers, leading to heated arguments and almost turning into a brawl to determine who was right.
"Quiet down... quiet down! Now is not the time for questions!" A senior wizard presiding over the symposium banged on the table impatiently, temporarily silencing the increasingly boisterous discussions.
It was only at this point that Lynn spoke up. "I will answer your questions one by one."
"First, the radius of our planet is approximately 6,875 kilometers, and the volume is about 1,364 billion cubic kilometers. You can deduce this using the circumference formula, where the radius is equal to the circumference divided by twice the value of pi. The volume can be calculated directly using the radius in the formula..."
Lynn patiently explained the radius, volume, and the corresponding magical formulas and derivation process, as all of these data would be necessary for the upcoming experiments.
Wizards who had accurately calculated the data naturally felt satisfied, while those who made mistakes looked embarrassed. Some wizards who were not confident in their mathematical skills secretly memorized the information.
In recent times, the planet and the orbit of stars had become the hottest topics in Greenrill. Any gathering of wizards inevitably included discussions about these subjects, making it a widespread trend.
"Now, as for the weight of our planet and the method to measure it, there is another crucial question we must address before we can truly unlock the secrets," Lynn said, looking at the assembly of wizards. He suddenly asked, "What do you think is the essence of gravity? Or, in other words, what factors determine the weight of an object when measured?"
Lynn's question instantly puzzled the wizards in the room. It seemed simple but was quite tricky, even somewhat baffling, like asking them to explain why water is called water and not earth!
The weight of an object was, of course, determined by using a balance and weights. The alchemists had even developed magical scales that could precisely measure an object's weight.
"So, what you're saying is that the gravity we feel is the result of the planet's own gravitational pull, right? So, an object's weight is determined by the influence of gravity?" After pondering for a while, one of the senior wizards in front of the platform responded.
"Yes, but also no," Lynn nodded and then shook his head. "Gravity is a sub-force of universal gravitation. It is not always a constant value. Even on the same planet, the amount of gravity experienced in different locations can vary..."
"Generally speaking, the closer you are to the planet, the stronger the influence of universal gravitation, and the farther away, the weaker the effect. Once you enter the boundless space, the concept of weight ceases to exist!" Lynn explained.
"So, you mean in places without gravity, everything has no weight?" A witch sitting in the front row couldn't help but stand up. "This... is incredible!"
Although the concept of gravity had been introduced for some time and, after the experiments of free fall, had almost become synonymous with weight, the idea that an object's weight could change or even disappear with the strength of gravity still exceeded their imagination.
This was challenging their existing beliefs!
Before long, another wizard stood up and retorted, "Lynn, I apologize, but I cannot agree with this concept. Are you saying that whether it's dirt or gold, once they leave the influence of gravity, they have no difference in weight and are lighter than feathers?"
"They are, of course, different because they have different masses. What we perceive as weight is actually the product of an object's mass and the acceleration due to gravity!" Lynn explained calmly.
"Mass? What's that?" The witch who had just stood up had a puzzled expression on her face.
"You can think of it as the total amount of elements contained within an object," Lynn explained as succinctly as possible. "It's an intrinsic, fundamental property of matter that doesn't change with external factors such as temperature, pressure, or velocity... Whether you place it on a planet or in the universe, this value remains the same!"
The discussion in the hall became intense once again, focusing on Lynn's new concept of using mass to replace weight.
Everything in the world was composed of elements, common knowledge in the land of the wizards, so Lynn's words were not too difficult to understand. However, what he said next left everyone in shock.
"Furthermore, in my view, gravity may not even exist!" Lynn didn't hesitate to express his controversial theory.
The symposium erupted in an uproar as over a thousand wizards stood up, looking at Lynn in disbelief. He was actually denying the existence of gravity!
How dare he?!
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