1. What is the Universal Law of Gravitation?

The Universal Law of Gravitation, formulated by Sir Isaac Newton, states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle 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.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation:

Where:

• \( F \) — Gravitational force (N)
• \( G \) — Gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ m³ kg⁻¹ s⁻²)
• \( m_1 \) — Mass of first object (kg)
• \( m_2 \) — Mass of second object (kg)
• \( r \) — Distance between centers of masses (m)

Explanation: The equation calculates the attractive force between any two objects with mass, where G is the fundamental gravitational constant.

3. Importance of Gravitational Force Calculation

Details: Understanding gravitational forces is crucial for celestial mechanics, satellite orbit calculations, astrophysics, and many engineering applications. It's fundamental to our understanding of how objects move in space.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter masses in kilograms and distance in meters. All values must be positive numbers. The gravitational constant is fixed at 6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ m³ kg⁻¹ s⁻².

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is the gravitational force so small for everyday objects?
A: The gravitational constant G is extremely small (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹), meaning significant forces only occur between very massive objects like planets and stars.

Q2: How accurate is the gravitational constant?
A: The value of G is known with relatively low precision compared to other physical constants due to the extreme weakness of gravity and difficulty in measurement.

Q3: Does this equation work for all distances?
A: Newton's law works well for most applications, but for extremely strong gravitational fields or very precise calculations, Einstein's theory of general relativity is needed.

Q4: Why is the force inversely proportional to the square of distance?
A: This inverse-square relationship occurs because gravitational influence spreads out equally in all directions through three-dimensional space.

Q5: Can this calculator be used for astronomical calculations?
A: Yes, the same equation governs gravitational interactions between celestial bodies, though astronomical scales typically require scientific notation for very large numbers.