Gravitational force

Gravitational force is the attractive force that masses exert on each other. When considering only two masses, it acts along the line connecting the centres of gravity of the two bodies.

The general formula according to Newton's law of gravitation is:

F_G = G * (m₁ * m₂) / r²

• F_G is the gravitational force
• G is the gravitational constant
• m₁ and m₂ are the masses of the two bodies involved.
• r is the distance between the centres of gravity

Near the Earth's surface, the gravitational force acting on a body of mass m is often referred to as weight. It can be calculated using gravitational acceleration:

F_G = m * g

• m: Mass
• g: gravitational acceleration (approximately 9.81 m/s² on Earth)