Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation

Centripetal Force

• When a body is traveling at a constant speed around a circular path, the body must be acted by the force directing towards the center in order to maintain its circular motion. This center-seeking force is called

Centripetal Acceleration

The acceleration of the object as it travels and maintain a circular path

Newton’s Universal Gravitation

• If two particles with masses mi and m2 are separated by a distance r, then a gravitational force acts along a line joining them, with magnitude given by F = G * (m1)(m2)/r²

• guided by the third law of motion, the forces are the same in magnitude but opposite in direction.

value of G

6.67 × 10^-11 m³/kg.s²

Kepler’s 1st Law

All planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the focal points

Kepler’s 2nd Law

A line drawn from the Sun to any planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

Kepler’s 3rd Law

The square of the orbital period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the average distance from the planet to the Sun.