Newton's law of gravitation

British  

noun

1. the principle that two particles attract each other with forces directly proportional to the product of their masses divided by the square of the distance between them

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Newton's law of gravitation Scientific  

/ no̅o̅t′nz /

1. The principle that expresses the force of gravitational attraction between two bodies as a function of their mass and their distance. Expressed mathematically, F = Gm₁m₂/d² where F is the force in Newtons, m ₁ and m ₂ are the masses of the bodies in kilograms, G is the gravitational constant, and d is the distance between the bodies in meters. Newton's Principle of Gravitation is an example of an inverse square law.

2. Also called law of gravitation law of universal gravitation

3. See Note at gravity

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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

Newton’s law of gravitation states that F = −G m1 m2 ^r , where G is the universal gravitational constant.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

A little more and it would have been Newton's law of gravitation applied to moral order.

From The Moon-Voyage by Verne, Jules

Newton's law of gravitation was argued against and rejected by a whole generation of philosophers on the continent of Europe; yet it has prevailed.

From Slavery Ordained of God by Ross, F. A. (Frederick Augustus)

I refer to the three greatest events in science: the discovery of the Copernican system, the three laws of Kepler, and Newton's law of gravitation, none of which is due to direct and special experimentation.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 286, June 25, 1881 by Various