The gravitational constant, symbolized by G, is a key number in physics that shows how strong the force of gravity is between any two objects with mass.
Key Points:
- Attraction: Gravity pulls objects with mass towards each other.
- Strength of Attraction: The gravitational constant tells us how strong this pull is. Bigger masses have a stronger pull on each other.
- Universal: The gravitational constant works for all objects in the universe, no matter what they are made of.
Value of G:
- G = 6.6743 × 10^-11 meters cubed per kilogram squared per second squared (m^3 kg^-1 s^-2)
- This is a very small number, which means gravity is a weak force compared to other forces like electromagnetism.
