Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
Interactive Visualization of the Fundamental Force Governing Celestial Motion
F = G · m₁ · m₂⁄r²
Newton's law states that 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 their centers.
Understanding Gravitation
The Law Explained
Newton's law of universal gravitation was published in 1687 in his work Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. This revolutionary concept explained:
- Why objects fall toward Earth
- The motion of planets around the Sun
- The behavior of tides
- The trajectories of comets
Key Components
F - Gravitational force between two objects (Newtons)
G - Gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ m³⋅kg⁻¹⋅s⁻²)
m₁, m₂ - Masses of the two objects (kilograms)
r - Distance between centers of the masses (meters)