Here's why:
* Gravity and Mass: Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is:
* Proportional to the product of their masses: The more massive the objects, the stronger the gravitational attraction.
* Inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them: The farther apart the objects are, the weaker the gravitational attraction.
* Weight vs. Mass: It's important to distinguish between weight and mass:
* Mass is a fundamental property of matter, representing the amount of matter in an object. It remains constant regardless of location.
* Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. It depends on both the object's mass and the gravitational field strength at its location.
So, while we often talk about "gravitational force" in everyday language, it's technically the force of attraction between objects with mass. Mass is the fundamental property that determines the strength of that force.
