What Is The Basic Idea Of Newton’s Law Of Universal Gravitation?

Sir Isaac Newton made the great discoveries about gravitation after Galileo. Before Galileo it was believed that the speed with which a falling object struck the ground from any height depended on the weight of the object. Galileo experimented with different weights to show how the 'force' of gravity caused them to fall from high. He also showed that a heavy weight and a light weight when dropped together reached the ground at the same time.

Newton assumed that the force which attracts any body toward the earth should grow less as the distance grows greater. Out of his studies and the observations of others came Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. The basic idea of this law is that if the mass or amount of matter of one of the two attracting bodies is doubled, the gravitational attraction will also be doubled; but if their distance apart is doubled, the force will be one-fourth as great.

Add Comment

Report