Gravitation Fundamentals

Gravitation

Definition

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

History

• Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed the concept of gravitation.
• In the 17th century, Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler laid the foundation for modern understanding of gravitation.
• Sir Isaac Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation in 1687.

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 of attraction is proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Key Concepts

• Gravity: the force of attraction between two objects, particularly between the Earth and objects on or near its surface.
• Gravitational field: a region around a massive object where the gravitational force can be detected.
• Gravitational potential energy: energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field.

Gravity on Earth

• Acceleration due to gravity (g): approximately 9.8 m/s² at the Earth's surface.
• Weight: the force exerted on an object by gravity, dependent on its mass and the acceleration due to gravity.

Gravitation in the Universe

• Gravitational waves: ripples in the fabric of spacetime, predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and observed in 2015.
• Black holes: regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape.
• Dark matter: hypothetical form of matter thought to make up approximately 27% of the universe, influencing galaxy rotation curves and gravitational interactions.

Theories of Gravitation

• Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: describes gravity as a force between objects.
• Einstein's Theory of General Relativity: describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects.

Gravitation

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

History of Gravitation

• Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed the concept of gravitation.
• Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler laid the foundation for modern understanding of gravitation in the 17th century.
• Sir Isaac Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation in 1687.

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 of attraction is proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Key Concepts

• Gravity: the force of attraction between two objects, particularly between the Earth and objects on or near its surface.
• Gravitational field: a region around a massive object where the gravitational force can be detected.
• Gravitational potential energy: energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field.

Gravity on Earth

• Acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s² at the Earth's surface.
• Weight: the force exerted on an object by gravity, dependent on its mass and the acceleration due to gravity.

Gravitation in the Universe

• Gravitational waves: ripples in the fabric of spacetime, predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and observed in 2015.
• Black holes: regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape.
• Dark matter: hypothetical form of matter thought to make up approximately 27% of the universe, influencing galaxy rotation curves and gravitational interactions.

Theories of Gravitation

• Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: describes gravity as a force between objects.
• Einstein's Theory of General Relativity: describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects.

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