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 solar system refers to a collection of celestial bodies, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, that are bound together by gravitational forces.
Gravitational forces are attractive forces between objects that depend on their masses and distance. They play a crucial role in keeping celestial bodies within the solar system.
Newton's Law of Gravitation: Newton's Law of Gravitation states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance.
Planets: Planets are large celestial bodies that orbit around stars. In our solar system, there are eight planets, including Earth, each having its own unique characteristics.