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The first test of Newton's law of gravitation between masses in the laboratory was the Cavendish experiment conducted by the British scientist Henry Cavendish in 1798. [5] It took place 111 years after the publication of Newton's Principia and approximately 71 years after his death.
According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the magnitude of the attractive force (F) between two bodies each with a spherically symmetric density distribution is directly proportional to the product of their masses, m 1 and m 2, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance, r, directed along the line connecting their centres of mass: =.
Gravitation, also known as gravitational attraction, is the mutual attraction between all masses in the universe.Gravity is the gravitational attraction at the surface of a planet or other celestial body; [6] gravity may also include, in addition to gravitation, the centrifugal force resulting from the planet's rotation (see § Earth's gravity).
Newton's law of universal gravitation, which describes classical gravity, can be seen as a prediction of general relativity for the almost flat spacetime geometry around stationary mass distributions. Some predictions of general relativity, however, are beyond Newton's law of universal gravitation in classical physics.
The existence of the gravitational constant was explored by various researchers from the mid-17th century, helping Isaac Newton formulate his law of universal gravitation. Newton's classical mechanics were superseded in the early 20th century, when Einstein developed the special and general theories of relativity.
In mechanics, Newton was also the first to provide the first correct scientific and mathematical formulation of gravity in Newton's law of universal gravitation. The combination of Newton's laws of motion and gravitation provides the fullest and most accurate description of classical mechanics.
General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to the forces of nature. [2] It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. [3] The theory transformed theoretical physics and astronomy during the 20th century, superseding a 200-year-old theory of mechanics created primarily by Isaac Newton.
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (English: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) [1] often referred to as simply the Principia (/ p r ɪ n ˈ s ɪ p i ə, p r ɪ n ˈ k ɪ p i ə /), is a book by Isaac Newton that expounds Newton's laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation.