Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
The gravitational constant (G) is a fundamental physical constant that determines the strength of gravitational forces between objects with mass. It appears in Newton's law of universal gravitation.
Mass refers to the amount or quantity of matter contained in an object.
Weight: Weight is the force experienced by an object due to gravity pulling it towards Earth or any other celestial body.
Universal Law of Gravitation: The universal law of gravitation states that every particle attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square distance between them.