Gravitational force, is it inverse square law?

In summary, the conversation discusses the force of gravitation between two masses and how it is affected by distance according to the inverse square law. The speaker questions why the force does not seem to follow the predicted proportion when the distance is doubled. The other person explains that the measurement is taken from the surface, but the mass attracting is at the center of the Earth.
  • #1
mabs239
85
1
I may be having a misconecption, please guide me.

The force of gravitation between two masses is inverse square law force as depicted by the formula F=G*m1*m2/r'2. Doesn't it mean that this force is one quarter of the origional when the distance between the masses is doubled. Now if a body of mass m is on Earth at a certain distance 'r'. At distance '2*r' the force should be divided by four. But in real the force (weight of the mass m) remains pretty same and does not change in the predicted proportion. What is wrong with my interpretation here?
 
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  • #2
mabs239 said:
I may be having a misconecption, please guide me.

The force of gravitation between two masses is inverse square law force as depicted by the formula F=G*m1*m2/r'2. Doesn't it mean that this force is one quarter of the origional when the distance between the masses is doubled. Now if a body of mass m is on Earth at a certain distance 'r'. At distance '2*r' the force should be divided by four. But in real the force (weight of the mass m) remains pretty same and does not change in the predicted proportion. What is wrong with my interpretation here?

You are measuring from the surface. But the mass attracting you is not at the surface. Where is it?
 
  • #3
Thanks!

Its the centre of earth.
 

FAQ: Gravitational force, is it inverse square law?

What is the inverse square law?

The inverse square law is a principle in physics that states that the strength of a physical force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two objects. In other words, as the distance between two objects increases, the force between them decreases by a factor of the square of the distance.

How does the inverse square law apply to gravitational force?

The inverse square law applies to gravitational force because it is a fundamental force that acts between two objects with mass. The force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the mass of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What is the equation for gravitational force?

The equation for gravitational force is F = G(m1m2)/r^2, where F is the force of gravity, G is the universal gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

How does the distance between two objects affect the gravitational force?

The distance between two objects has a significant impact on the gravitational force between them. As the distance between two objects increases, the force of gravity between them decreases exponentially. This is because of the inverse square law, where the force decreases by a factor of the square of the distance.

Is the inverse square law always applicable to gravitational force?

Yes, the inverse square law is always applicable to gravitational force. This law has been extensively tested and confirmed through experiments and observations. It is a fundamental principle in physics and is used to accurately calculate gravitational force in various scenarios.

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