Newtonian gravitation gives the attractive force between point masses or spherically symmetric bodies.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Read time
5 min
Prerequisites
Basic algebra, consistent units, and the stated model assumptions
Source
OpenStax, College Physics 2e, §6.5 (Paul Peter Urone and Roger Hinrichs)OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
Newtonian gravitation gives the attractive force between point masses or spherically symmetric bodies. Separation is measured between their centers, not from their surfaces.
| Symbol | Meaning | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Attractive gravitational-force magnitude | ||
| Gravitational Constant | ||
| Mass (first body) | ||
| Mass (second body) | ||
| Center-to-center separation |
Estimate attraction between spherical bodies.
Supply the gravitational force in a Newtonian model.
Find the gravitational force on a 1 kg mass at Earth’s surface using the listed Earth mass, center-to-center distance, and gravitational constant.
OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
Assumptions
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