Gravity Force Lab: Basics

Discover how mass and distance affect gravitational force

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation states that every mass attracts every other mass with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The gravitational constant G = 6.674×10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg² is extremely small, which is why only planetary-scale masses produce noticeable gravitational forces. This same law describes orbits, tides, and spacecraft trajectories.