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
The gravitational force is the attractive force between two objects with mass. It is responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the sun and objects on Earth's surface.
Related terms
Gravity: Gravity is a fundamental force that attracts objects with mass towards each other.
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 the distance between them.
Weight: Weight is a measure of the gravitational force acting on an object due to its mass. It depends on both mass and acceleration due to gravity.