Gravitational force general question

[Miike012]

say two bodies on Earth are aligned a distance r from one another with masses m1 and m2.
Do they have a gravitational force that points to each other that are equal and opp direction...

please look at my picture ..

 

[Miike012]

I am confused because I thought gravitational force was a force that always pointed down or towards the center of the earth...?

 

[DaveC426913]

I am confused because I thought gravitational force was a force that always pointed down or towards the center of the earth...?

No. All mass generates gravity. The boxes have mass, therefore gravity. You and I have mass and therefore generate gravity. For these though, it's just very, very tiny.

Here on Earth, the largest mass we commonly encounter is the Earth's, most other thing we encounter directly are too small for their gravity to be felt.

 

[Miike012]

Thank you

 

[asteriatic]

Yes, according to Newton's law of universal gravitation, two bodies on Earth with masses m1 and m2 and a distance r between them will have a gravitational force that points towards each other, with equal magnitude and opposite direction. This force is given by the equation F = G(m1m2)/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant. The picture provided does not change this principle, as long as the masses and distance between them remain the same.