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.