Difference between revisions of "Gravitational constant"

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"G" is the universal gravitational constant: 6.67x10-11 N<sup>2</sup>/kg<sup>2</sup>. It is used in Newton's formula for the gravitational force between two objects, which is:
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'''G''' is the universal gravitational constant:<ref>http://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?bg</ref>
  
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:Force between two objects ([[Newton (unit of measurement)|N]]) = (G x mass of first object (kg) x mass of second object (kg))/distance between them<sup>2</sup> (m)
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:<math> G = 6.67408(31) \times 10^{-11} \ \mbox{N} \ \mbox{m}^2 \ \mbox{kg}^{-2} \ </math>
  
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"g" is the acceleration Earth's gravitational field exerts on objects at Earth's surface: 9.8 m/sec<sup>2</sup>.
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It is used in {{hs|Isaac|Newton}}'s formula for the gravitational force between two objects, which is:
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:<math> F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} </math>
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where
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:<math> {F} \ </math> is the force between the two objects
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:<math> {m_1},{m_2} \ </math> are the masses of each object
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:<math> {r} \ </math> is the distance between the two objects.
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==Acceleration due to Gravity==
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The lower case <math>g</math> is known as the acceleration due to gravity. It is the [[acceleration]] of a body experiences due to [[Earth]]'s gravitational field at the [[Earth]]'s surface. It varies slightly across the surface of the earth due to differences in [[altitude]] and local geology. The rotation of the earth also affects it, causing the earth to bulge around the [[equator]], increasing the distance between the surface and the centre of the earth. It has a value of approximately <math> g = 9.81 \ \mbox{m} \ \mbox{s}^{-2}</math>.
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==References==
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{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:Physics]]

Latest revision as of 03:12, May 27, 2017

G is the universal gravitational constant:[1]

It is used in Newton's formula for the gravitational force between two objects, which is:

where

is the force between the two objects
are the masses of each object
is the distance between the two objects.

Acceleration due to Gravity

The lower case   is known as the acceleration due to gravity. It is the acceleration of a body experiences due to Earth's gravitational field at the Earth's surface. It varies slightly across the surface of the earth due to differences in altitude and local geology. The rotation of the earth also affects it, causing the earth to bulge around the equator, increasing the distance between the surface and the centre of the earth. It has a value of approximately  .

References