How to Use Gravitational Force Calculator User Guide
Follow these steps to easily use the calculator:
1. Input values
- Enter the mass of the first object in Mass 1.
- Enter the mass of the second object in Mass 2.
- Enter the distance between the two objects in Distance.
2. Select initial units
Choose the units for Mass 1, Mass 2And Distance from their respective drop-down lists (kg, g, lbs for mass; m, cm, f for distance).
3. Convert units (optional)
You can convert the units individually for Mass1, Mass2 and Distance, using the tool Convert to unfold.
4. Show results
- The gravitational force between objects will be displayed in the results section.
- The converted result will also be displayed, by default in Newtons (N) which can be modified/converted to dynes, or pounds (pdl).
IMPORTANT Notes
- Make sure you enter numerical values for mass and distance and not alphabets/strings.
- Units must be consistent. For example, if you use grams for « Mass 1 », use grams for « Mass 2 ».
- If you enter invalid entries or inconsistent units, an error message will appear.
- Non-integer values: Decimals are allowed.
- Scientific notation: For exponents, for example, 10^12, you can enter 10e12, or for 10^-12, you can enter 10e-12.
Understanding the Gravitational Force Formula
The gravitational force between two objects is described by Newton’s law of universal gravitation, its formula is:
$$
F = \frac{{G \times m_1 \times m_2}}{{r^2}}
$$
Or:
- \(F\) is the gravitational force between the two objects.
- \( G \) is the gravitational constant, \(6.67430 \times 10^{-11} \, \text{m}^3 \, \text{kg}^{-1} \, \text{s }^ {-2}\).
- \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) are the masses of the two objects.
- \(r\) is the distance between the centers of the two objects.
Important facts about Newton’s law of gravitation
- The gravitational force is attractive, that is to say, it always attracts the two masses towards each other.
- Force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, meaning that as the distance between the two objects increases, the force decreases and vice versa.
- Force is directly proportional to the product of the masses, meaning that increasing the mass of either object will increase the gravitational force between them.
