Universal Gravitational Constant

Universal gravitational constant, abbreviated as G, also called gravitational constant, Newton constant of gravitational, and Cavendish gravitational constant, is a physical constant that appears in the law of universal gravitation formulated by Isaac Newton.  The value of G is a fundamental constant of nature, meaning that it is a fixed value that does not depend on any other physical quantities or units.

The current accepted value of G is approximately 6.67430 x 10^-11 N·(m/kg)^2.  This means that the gravitational force between two objects of mass 1 kg each and separated by a distance of 1 meter is approximately 6.67 x 10^-11 Newtons.

The universal gravitational constant plays a crucial role in our understanding of gravity and its effects on the motion of objects in the universe.  It is used in many calculations related to gravity, such as the calculation of the force between the Earth and the Moon, or the calculation of the escape velocity required for a rocket to leave the Earth's gravitational field.

 

universal gravitational constant
\( G \;=\; 6.67408 \;10^{-11} \;\; N - m^2 \;/\; kg^2 \) \( G \;=\; 3.33 \;10^{-10} \;\; lbf - ft^2 \;/\; lbm^2 \)
Symbol	English	Metric
\( G \) = Universal Gravitational Constant (See Physics Constant)	\(lbf-ft^2 \;/\; lbm^2\)	\(N - m^2 \;/\; kg^2\)

 

standard gravity
\( g \;=\; 32.17404856 \;\; ft \;/\; sec^2\) \( g \;=\; 9.80665 \;\; m \;/\; s^2\)
Symbol	English	Metric
\( g \) = Standard Gravity (See Physics Constant)	\(ft \;/\; sec^2\)	\(m \;/\; s^2\)