Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Gravitational forces are the attractive forces between objects with mass. They cause objects to be pulled towards each other.
Related terms
Force of Gravity: This term refers to the specific force exerted by gravity on an object. It is equal to the product of an object's mass and acceleration due to gravity.
Weight is a measure of the force of gravity acting on an object. It depends on both an object's mass and its location in a gravitational field.
Universal Law of Gravitation: This law states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart.