1. What is Gravitational Force?

Definition: Gravitational force is the attractive force between any two objects with mass, described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.

Purpose: This calculator helps students, physicists, and engineers compute the gravitational attraction between two masses.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( F \) — Gravitational force (Newtons, N)
• \( G \) — Gravitational constant (6.67430 × 10⁻¹¹ N(m/kg)²)
• \( m_1 \) — Mass of first object (kg)
• \( m_2 \) — Mass of second object (kg)
• \( r \) — Distance between centers of mass (m)

Explanation: The force is directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

3. Importance of Gravitational Force

Details: Understanding gravitational force is fundamental to celestial mechanics, satellite motion, and many engineering applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the masses of both objects in kilograms and their separation distance in meters. All values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is the gravitational constant so small?
A: The small value reflects the weakness of gravity compared to other fundamental forces at small scales.

Q2: Does this work for celestial bodies?
A: Yes, the same formula applies to planets, stars, and galaxies, though relativistic effects become important at extreme scales.

Q3: What if the distance is zero?
A: The formula breaks down at r=0, as objects can't occupy the same space and quantum effects become significant.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It's accurate for classical physics problems, but doesn't account for general relativistic effects in strong gravitational fields.

Q5: Why does the result have so many decimal places?
A: Due to the extremely small gravitational constant, results are typically very small numbers requiring high precision.