how is gravity measured

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how is gravity measured

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Gravity is a force, so you can measure it in newtons (metric) or pounds (imperial). Newton’s equation, which is technically only an approximation but works fine for most common applications, is:

F = G(m1)(m2)/r^2

Where F is the force of gravity, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects involved (e.g. the Earth and you) and r is the distance between the objects, and G is something called the gravitational constant.

When talking about gravity on the surface of a planet like Earth, you can basically consider one of the masses (the planet) and the radius r (the size of the planet) constant, meaning that the force of gravity is directly proportional to the mass of the second object.

You might remember another of Newton’s laws which says that force equals mass times acceleration, so gravity is often described in terms of acceleration units, e.g. Earth’s gravity is commonly quoted as 9.8 m/s/s (though technically it depends on your altitude and where exactly you are).

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