Gravitational Force & Acceleration: What's the Difference?

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SUMMARY

Gravitational force is defined as the attractive force between two objects, characterized by the formula F=GmM/r², where G is the gravitational constant, m and M are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between their centers. Acceleration due to gravity, on the other hand, describes the effect of this force on a body, calculated using the formula a=GM/r². The discussion highlights that when two bodies have significantly different masses, the smaller body experiences a greater acceleration, exemplified by an apple falling to Earth at approximately 9.8 m/s², while the Earth's acceleration is negligible.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion
  • Familiarity with gravitational concepts and formulas
  • Basic knowledge of mass and distance in physics
  • Comprehension of the gravitational constant (G)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the implications of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
  • Explore the concept of gravitational acceleration in different celestial bodies
  • Investigate the effects of mass differences on gravitational interactions
  • Learn about the applications of gravitational force in real-world scenarios
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Students of physics, educators teaching gravitational concepts, and anyone interested in understanding the fundamental principles of gravitational force and acceleration.

ASidd
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Would I be correct in saying that gravitational force is the force of attraction between any two objects and has the following characteristics:
Attractive and the magnitude of the force is inversely proportional to square of distance between the two object
It is given by the formula F=GmM/r^2

On the other hand acceleration due to gravity deals with the effect of the gravitational force on a body. This effect is to accelerate a body according to Newton's second law and given by the formula a=GM/r^2
 
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ASidd said:
Would I be correct in saying that gravitational force is the force of attraction between any two objects and has the following characteristics:
Attractive and the magnitude of the force is inversely proportional to square of distance between the two object
It is given by the formula F=GmM/r^2

On the other hand acceleration due to gravity deals with the effect of the gravitational force on a body. This effect is to accelerate a body according to Newton's second law and given by the formula a=GM/r^2

That seems reasonable.
That acceleration you have calculated/given is for the body of mass m
The acceleration of the other body is of course a=Gm/r^2

IF the bodies have very different masses the smaller body, of course, has the larger acceleration.
Like when you drop an apple here on the Earth. The apple, with small mass, has quite an acceleration [9.8 ms-2 actually], while the large body [the Earth] has such a small acceleration that most people [all people?] don't even notice it.
 

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