Regular derivation on The Universal Law of Gravitation?

In summary, the conversation revolved around the derivation of Newton's laws of gravitation and a doubt regarding the combination of two forces. The individual asked for clarification on the rules of proportionality and if there are any other derivations of the law. The expert responded that while the operation done was mathematically valid, it did not result in the desired outcome and suggested taking the law as given and verifying it through experiments. The conversation also touched on the idea of using Kepler's Laws for the derivation. Finally, it was mentioned that the numerical value of G can be taken to be 1 if the units are chosen correctly.
  • #1
I am Meaningless
Hello Everybody, I am Meaningless and I had this doubt on Newtons laws of gravitation while deriving it. My textbook stated the following derivation 9 for any two masses m1, m2, and radius 'r'
It stated that according to the law of product of masses,
F (Directly Proportional) m1*m2
And according to the inverse square law,
F (Directly Proportional) 1/r2
Now here came my doubt..:
They then said that, When both Forces (F's) were combined, we would get,
F ( Directly Proportional) m1m2/r2
But I thought of elaborating the ''combination'' and logically approached it. Here's what I got:
If F was directly proportional to the product of the masses, the it would be equal to the product of the masses and a proportionality constant which I took as 'k'.
Now similarly if F was directly proportional to the inverse of the square of the radius then it would be equal to the inverse of the square of the radius multiplied by a proportionality constant which I took as 'l'.
Now if I multiplied them I would get...
F2 = K*L*m1*m2/r2
and if I rooted (square root) the entire equation on both sides I would get...
F = (SQRT)[K*L*M1*M2/R2]

Which did not seem to match with F = Gm1m2/r2
Now please tell me if:
1.There is any rule with the Proportionality that I am not aware of (or)
2.What my textbook has given is wrong
3. This was experimentally proved as an exception
4. If there is any other derivation for it
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance :-)
 
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  • #2
I am Meaningless said:
Now if I multiplied them
This step is wrong. You need one force law which obeys both proportionalities. The product you took does not obey either.
 
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  • #3
Dale said:
This step is wrong. You need one force law which obeys both proportionalities. The product you took does not obey either.
Thanks a lot for the reply Dale. So can I conclude that, I can only multiply two proportionalities only if one side of both equation obeys the original proportionalities? Also could you give another derivation perhaps by using Kepler's Laws, to make my understanding clearly? If that is Impossible, then could you just give another derivation?
 
  • #4
I am Meaningless said:
I can only multiply two proportionalities only if one side of both equation obeys the original proportionalities?
You can certainly multiply two proportionalities any time you feel like it. However, the square root of the resulting expression may no longer be proportional to either of the original proportionalities. The operation that you did is mathematically valid, but just doesn't have the result you require.

I am Meaningless said:
Also could you give another derivation perhaps by using Kepler's Laws, to make my understanding clearly? If that is Impossible, then could you just give another derivation?
I don’t think that a derivation is particularly productive. I would just take the law as a given and check to see if it matches the result of experiments. If it does, then you can use it regardless of how it is obtained.
 
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  • #5
Dale said:
You can certainly multiply two proportionalities any time you feel like it. However, the square root of the resulting expression may no longer be proportional to either of the original proportionalities. The operation that you did is mathematically valid, but just doesn't have the result you require.

I don’t think that a derivation is particularly productive. I would just take the law as a given and check to see if it matches the result of experiments. If it does, then you can use it regardless of how it is obtained.
Okay, Thanks a lot Dale.
 
  • #6
If the units are suitably chosen, the numerical value of G = 1.
 

1. What is the Universal Law of Gravitation?

The Universal Law of Gravitation is a scientific principle that describes the force of gravity between two objects. It states that every object in the universe with mass attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. Who discovered the Universal Law of Gravitation?

The Universal Law of Gravitation was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. He published his findings in his famous book "Principia Mathematica" which revolutionized the understanding of gravity and its effects.

3. How is the Universal Law of Gravitation calculated?

The Universal Law of Gravitation is calculated using the formula F = G * (m1 * m2)/r^2, where F is the force of gravity, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

4. Does the Universal Law of Gravitation apply to all objects?

Yes, the Universal Law of Gravitation applies to all objects with mass, regardless of their size or composition. This means that the force of gravity exists between any two objects in the universe, from the smallest particles to the largest planets and stars.

5. How does the Universal Law of Gravitation affect our daily lives?

The Universal Law of Gravitation affects our daily lives in many ways. It is responsible for keeping us grounded on Earth, for the motions of the planets in our solar system, and for the tides in our oceans. It also plays a crucial role in space exploration and satellite communication. Without the force of gravity, our universe would look very different.

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