Law universal gravitation, Newton, gravity, weight, mass
The law of universal gravitation, formulated by Sir Isaac Newton, describes the gravitational force between two objects. According to the law, every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2
Where F is the gravitational force between two objects, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, r is the distance between their centers of mass, and G is the gravitational constant.
Gravity is the force that attracts objects towards each other. It is a fundamental force of nature that acts between any two objects with mass. Gravity is responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the sun, objects falling towards the Earth's surface, and many other phenomena.
Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. It is defined as the product of an object's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Weight can vary depending on the strength of the gravitational field where an object is located. For example, an object will weigh less on the moon than on Earth due to the moon's weaker gravity.
Mass, on the other hand, is a measure of the amount of matter in an object. It is a scalar quantity and is independent of the location and gravitational field strength. Mass remains constant regardless of the object's location, whereas weight can change depending on the strength of the gravitational field. Mass is usually measured in kilograms (kg).
In summary, Newton's law of universal gravitation explains the gravitational force between two objects, gravity is the force responsible for the attraction between objects with mass, weight is the force of gravity acting on an object's mass, and mass is a measure of the amount of matter an object contains.
Step 1: Law of Universal Gravitation
The Law of Universal Gravitation is a fundamental principle in physics that explains the force of gravitational attraction between two objects. It was formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in the late 17th century.
Step 2: Newton's Contribution
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician who developed the Law of Universal Gravitation. He proposed that any two objects with mass are attracted to each other with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Step 3: Gravity
Gravity is the force of attraction that exists between any two objects with mass. It is responsible for the acceleration of objects towards the center of the Earth, and it also governs the motion of planets, stars, and galaxies. Gravity is a fundamental force in nature.
Step 4: Weight
Weight is the force with which an object is pulled towards the center of the Earth or any other celestial body. It is directly proportional to an object's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. The formula to calculate weight is W = mg, where W is the weight, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Step 5: Mass
Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object. It is a scalar quantity and is independent of gravity. Mass is often confused with weight, but they are not the same. The mass of an object remains constant regardless of its location, whereas weight can change depending on the gravitational field strength. The SI unit of mass is kilogram (kg).