Newton's law of gravitation (nt'nz) The principle that expresses the force of gravitational attraction between two bodies as a function of their mass and their distance. Expressed mathematically, F = Gm1m2/d2 where F is the force in Newtons, m1 and m2 are the masses of the bodies in kilograms, G is the gravitational constant, and d is the distance between the bodies in meters. Newton's Principle of Gravitation is an example of an inverse square law. Also called law of gravitation, law of universal gravitation. See Note at gravity. |