Newton’s law of gravitation
What Newton’s law of gravitation means in Physics A-Level, as defined for OCR.
Definition of Newton’s law of gravitation
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Newton’s law of gravitation in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
The gravitational force F between two point masses is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance r between their centres.
Topics that use Newton’s law of gravitation
- Newton’s law of gravitation (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Application outside the body
- Gravitational field strength
- Inverse-square law
- Uniform gravitational field near the Earth's surface
- Vector nature of gravitational fields
- Attractive force between masses
- Gravitational constant G
- Limits of the uniform-field approximation
Using Newton’s law of gravitation in the exam
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