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
Universal Law of Gravitation: This law states that every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Weight: Weight is the force experienced by an object due to gravity. It depends on both the mass of the object and the strength of gravity.
Escape velocity is the minimum velocity an object needs to escape from a planet or satellite's gravitational pull. It depends on both the mass of the planet/satellite and its radius.