Chapter 4, Problem 1RCQ

What did Newton discover about gravity?

To determine

What did Newton discover about gravity.

Answer to Problem 1RCQ

According to Newton, everything in the universe which is having a mass attracts each other with a force which is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the masses and directly proportional to the product of their masses. Newton concluded that this force is universal.

Explanation of Solution

According to Newton, everything in the universe which is having a mass attracts each other with a force which is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the masses and directly proportional to the product of their masses.

This force is known as the gravitational force of attraction.

Express the gravitational force of attraction.

$F=\frac{G{m}_1{m}_2}{r^2}$

• $m_1$ is the mass of the first object
• $m_2$ is the mass of second object
• G is the universal gravitational constant
• r is the distance between the objects

Conclusion:

According to Newton, everything in the universe which is having a mass attracts each other with a force which is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the masses and directly proportional to the product of their masses. Newton concluded that this force is universal.