Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every particle with mass attracts every other particle with mass through a gravitational force. This force depends on their masses and the distance between them.
Related terms
Gravitational constant (G): A constant value used in the calculation of gravitational force.
Orbital motion: The curved path followed by an object around a more massive object due to gravitational attraction.
Kepler's laws of planetary motion: Three laws that describe the motion of planets around the sun, derived from Newton's law of universal gravitation.
"Newton's law of universal gravitation" also found in: