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Newton's Law of Gravity definitions Flashcards

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Newton's Law of Gravity definitions
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  • Universal Law of Gravitation
    A principle stating that every object attracts every other object with a force proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
  • Gravitational Constant
    A universal constant denoted by G, valued at 6.67 x 10^-11 N(m/kg)^2, used in the calculation of gravitational forces.
  • Local Gravitational Constant
    The acceleration due to gravity on Earth, approximately 9.8 m/s^2, differing from the universal gravitational constant.
  • Point Mass
    An object treated as if all its mass is concentrated at a single point, simplifying gravitational calculations.
  • Center of Mass
    The point in an object or system where the total mass can be considered to be concentrated for gravitational calculations.
  • Radius
    The distance from the center of a sphere, like Earth, to its surface, used in gravitational calculations.
  • Height
    The distance above a planet's surface, added to the radius to calculate the total distance in gravitational equations.
  • Newton
    The unit of force in the International System of Units (SI), symbolized as N, used to measure gravitational force.
  • Mass
    A measure of the amount of matter in an object, influencing the gravitational force it exerts and experiences.
  • Distance
    The separation between the centers of mass of two objects, crucial in calculating gravitational force.
  • Action-Reaction
    Newton's third law principle stating that forces between two objects are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
  • Order of Operations
    A mathematical rule dictating the sequence in which operations are performed, crucial in solving equations accurately.
  • Variable
    A symbol representing a quantity that can change, such as height in gravitational calculations.
  • Constant
    A fixed value that does not change, such as the gravitational constant or Earth's radius in calculations.
  • Equation
    A mathematical statement that expresses the equality of two expressions, used to calculate gravitational forces.