Equations
Newton's law of universal gravitation
Gravitation · id newton_gravitation
F = \frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}
| Symbol | Quantity | Unit | Meaning | Usual range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
F | gravitational force | N | Attractive force between the masses | 1e-15 to 1e+25 |
G | gravitational constant | m^3/(kg*s^2) | Newtonian constant of gravitation | |
m1 | mass 1 | kg | First mass | |
m2 | mass 2 | kg | Second mass | |
r | separation | m | Center-to-center distance |
Assumptions
- Point masses or spherically symmetric bodies
Valid when
- Weak fields (no general relativity)
- r larger than the bodies' radii
Found by
Questions with these words retrieve this equation: gravitation, gravity, attraction, planet, orbit, masses, universal.
Source
OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, Chapter 13 (reference; entry written by the project). License: MIT. Entry confidence: 0.99.