Gravitation and Newton's Law

Gravitation

Definition

Gravitation is a fundamental force of nature that causes objects with mass to attract each other.

History

• Ancient Greeks: Aristotle and Archimedes discussed gravity
• 17th century: Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler studied gravity
• 1687: Sir Isaac Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

• Every point mass attracts every other point mass by a force acting along the line intersecting both points
• The force is proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

Key Concepts

Gravity

• A force that attracts two objects with mass
• A universal force that affects everything with mass or energy

Gravitational Field

• A region around a massive object where the gravitational force can be detected
• Strength of the field decreases with increasing distance from the object

Gravitational Potential Energy

• The energy an object has due to its position within a gravitational field
• Increases as the object moves further away from the center of the field

Escape Velocity

• The minimum speed an object needs to escape the gravitational pull of a celestial body
• Depends on the mass of the celestial body and the distance from its center

Gravitational Waves

• Ripples in the fabric of spacetime produced by massive, accelerating objects
• Predicted by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (1915)
• First detected in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

Gravitation

Definition and History

• Gravitation is a fundamental force of nature that causes objects with mass to attract each other.
• Ancient Greeks, such as Aristotle and Archimedes, discussed gravity.
• In the 17th century, Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler studied gravity.
• Sir Isaac Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation in 1687.

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

• The law states that every point mass attracts every other point mass by a force acting along the line intersecting both points.
• The force is proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Key Concepts

Gravity

• Gravity is a force that attracts two objects with mass.
• It is a universal force that affects everything with mass or energy.

Gravitational Field

• A gravitational field is a region around a massive object where the gravitational force can be detected.
• The strength of the field decreases with increasing distance from the object.

Gravitational Potential Energy

• Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has due to its position within a gravitational field.
• The energy increases as the object moves further away from the center of the field.

Escape Velocity

• Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to escape the gravitational pull of a celestial body.
• It depends on the mass of the celestial body and the distance from its center.

Gravitational Waves

• Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime produced by massive, accelerating objects.
• They were predicted by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in 1915.
• The first detection was made in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

Learn about the fundamental force of nature that causes objects with mass to attract each other, its history, and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.