Gravitation – Meaning, Law, and Examples

What is Gravitation?
Gravitation is the force of attraction between any two objects in the universe .
In simple words – Everything pulls everything else towards itself .

The Earth’s gravitation is called gravity , and it pulls everything towards the ground.

Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation

Statement:
Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that:

1. Is directly proportional to the product of their masses.
2. Is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Formula:

Where:

• F = Gravitational force
• G = Gravitational constant (6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ Nm²/kg²)
• m₁ and m₂ = masses of the objects
• r = distance between the objects’ centers

Examples of Gravitation in Daily Life:

• An apple falling from a tree.
• The Moon revolving around the Earth.
• Planets orbiting the Sun.

Difference Between Gravitation and Gravity:

• Gravitation: Force between any two objects in the universe.
• Gravity: Force between the Earth and an object near it.

Importance of Gravitation:

• Keeps planets in their orbits.
• Holds the atmosphere around the Earth.
• Causes tides in seas and oceans.

Summary:

Gravitation is a natural force that attracts objects towards each other.
Newton’s law helps calculate this force between any two objects.