Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
The force of gravity between two objects is calculated using this formula:
* F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where:
* F is the force of gravity
* G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N⋅m²/kg²)
* m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
The Importance of Distance
Notice that the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects. This means:
* If the distance between the objects doubles, the gravitational force between them decreases by a factor of four.
* If the distance between the objects triples, the gravitational force between them decreases by a factor of nine.
Example
Let's say the 5 kg mass and the 2 kg mass are 1 meter apart. Then:
* F = (6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N⋅m²/kg²) * (5 kg * 2 kg) / (1 m)²
* F ≈ 6.674 × 10⁻¹⁰ N
In conclusion, you need the distance between the two masses to calculate the gravitational force between them.
