The Circular Reasoning of the Rubber Sheet: A Critical Analysis of Gravity Analogies in Physics Education

The rubber sheet analogy—depicting gravity as a ball rolling toward a depression caused by a massive object—is ubiquitous in physics education. This paper argues that the analogy is fundamentally flawed: it uses Earth's gravity to explain gravity, creating circular reasoning. We examine other common analogies (magnets, springs) and find similar problems. We propose the typhoon/low-pressure model as a superior alternative: objects move toward gravity sources not because they are "pulled," but because they flow toward regions of lower spacetime pressure. Paper 4 of the Wormhole Gravity Hypothesis series.