Explain the law of universal gravitation
Here is a reasonable place to start:
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newtongrav.html
It probably tells you more than you want to know.
I should warn you that Newton's universal "law" of gravity is not perfectly accurate, and has been replaced by the more accurate, and much more complicated, General Theory of Relativity of Einstein. The Einstein theory has met all experimental tests, and correctly predicted black holes, which have been observed indirectly by their effects.
The law of universal gravitation is a fundamental principle in physics that describes the gravitational force between two objects. It was formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687 and is widely considered one of the most important discoveries in the history of science.
To understand the law of universal gravitation, let's break it down step by step:
1. The law states that every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses.
2. This means that if you have two objects with larger masses, the gravitational force between them will be stronger. Similarly, if the masses are smaller, the force will be weaker.
3. The law also states that the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two objects.
4. This means that as the distance between two objects increases, the gravitational force between them decreases rapidly. Conversely, if the distance decreases, the force increases.
To calculate the gravitational force between two objects, you can use the following formula:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
Where:
- F is the gravitational force between the two objects
- G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.67430 x 10^-11 N m^2 / kg^2)
- m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
- r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
By plugging in the mass and distance values into this formula, you can calculate the gravitational force between any two objects in the universe.
It's important to note that the law of universal gravitation is an approximation that works well for everyday objects. However, for extremely massive or microscopic objects, or when dealing with very high speeds, the law needs to be modified to incorporate the principles of general relativity or quantum mechanics. Nonetheless, the law of universal gravitation remains a powerful and useful concept in physics.