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The Cavendish experiment, performed in 1797–1798 by English scientist Henry Cavendish, was the first experiment to measure the force of gravity between masses in the laboratory [1] and the first to yield accurate values for the gravitational constant.
The first direct measurement of gravitational attraction between two bodies in the laboratory was performed in 1798, seventy-one years after Newton's death, by Henry Cavendish. [17] He determined a value for G implicitly, using a torsion balance invented by the geologist Rev. John Michell (1753).
Cavendish's work led others to accurate values for the gravitational constant (G) and Earth's mass. Based on his results, one can calculate a value for G of 6.754 × 10 −11 N-m 2 /kg 2 , [ 21 ] which compares favourably with the modern value of 6.67428 × 10 −11 N-m 2 /kg 2 .
What is the gravitational constant, how do scientists measure it, and is it really constant or can it change across time and space? Skip to main content. 24/7 Help. For premium support please call
1798 – Henry Cavendish tests Newton's law of universal gravitation using a torsion balance, leading to the first accurate value for the gravitational constant and the mean density of the Earth. [23] [24]
Cavendish experiment: Henry Cavendish: Measurement Gravitational constant: 1799 Voltaic pile: Alessandro Volta: Demonstration First electric battery: 1803 Young's interference experiment: Thomas Young: Confirmation Wave theory of light: 1819 Arago spot experiment François Arago: Confirmation Fresnel diffraction due to circular object 1838 ...
Reasonably accurate measurements were not available in until the Cavendish experiment by Henry Cavendish in 1797. [ 97 ] In Newton's theory [ 98 ] (rewritten using more modern mathematics) the density of mass ρ {\displaystyle \rho \,} generates a scalar field, the gravitational potential φ {\displaystyle \varphi \,} in joules per kilogram, by
Figure 5–9. (A) Cavendish experiment, (B) Kreuzer experiment. The classic experiment to measure the strength of a gravitational source (i.e. its active mass) was first conducted in 1797 by Henry Cavendish (Fig. 5-9a). Two small but dense balls are suspended on a fine wire, making a torsion balance. Bringing two large test masses close to the ...