AH - Universal Gravitation LESSON

Universal Gravitation

From the Three Laws of Motion, Newton calculated the Universal Law of Gravity. The Universal Law of Gravity states that as two bodies move farther away from one another, the gravitational attraction between them decreases by the inverse of the square of the distance. This means that if the two objects are twice as far apart, the gravitational force is only a fourth as strong. The equation for universal gravitation is shown below:

F equals the product of G, m1, and m2 all divided by r squared

Universal Gravitation Equation Chart
Symbol/Letter in Equation Meaning Measured In
F Force between the two objects Newtons (N)
G Universal Gravitational Constant Nm2/kg-2
m1 Mass of object 1 Kilograms (kg)
m2 Mass of object 2 Kilograms (kg)
r2 Distance from the center of mass of one object to the center of mass of the second object. Meters (m)

 

Your astronaut training continues with the presentation below. Make sure you take notes on the Gravitational Force presentation!

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