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13.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

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We first review the history of the study of gravitation, with emphasis on those phenomena that for thousands of years have inspired philosophers and scientists to search for an explanation. Then we examine the simplest form of Newton’s law of universal gravitation and how to apply it. The earliest philosophers wondered why objects naturally tend to fall toward the ground. Aristotle (384–322 BCE) believed that it was the nature of rocks to seek Earth and the nature of fire to seek the Heavens. Brahmagupta (598~665 CE) postulated that Earth was a sphere and that objects possessed a natural affinity for it, falling toward the center from wherever they were located. The motions of the Sun, our Moon, and the planets have been studied for thousands of years as well. These motions were described with amazing accuracy by Ptolemy (90–168 CE), whose method of epicycles described the paths of the planets as circles within circles. However, there is little evidence that anyone connected the motion

13.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax Skip to Content Go to accessibility page Keyboard shortcuts menu University Physics Volume 1 13.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation University Physics Volume 1 13.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation Contents Highlights Print Close 13.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation By the end of this section, you will be able to: List the significant milestones in the history of gravitation Calculate the gravitational force between two point masses Estimate the gravitational force between collections of mass We

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