law of gravitation

American  

[law uhv grav-i-tey-shuhn] / ˈlɔ əv ˌgræv ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

Physics.

1. a law stating that any two masses attract each other with a force equal to a constant (​called thegravitational constant ) multiplied by the product of the two masses and divided by the square of the distance between them.

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law of gravitation Scientific  

1. See Newton's law of gravitation

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Etymology

Origin of law of gravitation

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

If this alternative gravity theory is correct, it would be a "major revolution," Loeb said, emphasizing it would be at the scale of Newton's law of gravitation and Einstein's law of gravity.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2021

Stated in modern language, Newton's universal law of gravitation states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force along a line joining them.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Having a new and independent way of measuring G could therefore enable physicists to redefine how the law of gravitation works.

From Nature • Jun. 17, 2014

Combining the law of gravitation with his laws of motion, Newton was able to derive mathematically the rules governing planetary motion that had been discovered by Johannes Kepler.

From Scientific American • Mar. 4, 2011

He finds his way, without our noticing that he has been seeking it: so surely and cleverly and inevitably does he run his course, as if by some law of gravitation.

From Thoughts Out of Season (Part II) by Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm