Question

What is gravitation ?

Answer 1

To solve this problem study Newton’ law of gravitation. Newton in 1686 stated that each particle of matter gets attracted to every other particle in the universe.This universal attractive force is called gravitation.

Complete step by step answer:
We know, Newton’s law of gravitation states that the force of attraction between two bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Consider two point masses of $M$ and $m$ separated by a distance .Newton’s law of gravitation states that the force of attraction acting between the bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses $Mm$. So, we can write,
$F \propto Mm$
Also, it is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
So, $F \propto \dfrac{1}{{{r^2}}}$.

Replacing the proportionality by a constant we have, $F = G\dfrac{{Mm}}{{{r^2}}}$ Where, $G$ is the gravitational constant. Its value is the same for all pairs of particles in the universe. Hence, it is a universal constant. So, gravitation is the phenomenon of any mass in the universe, for this phenomenon any object with finite mass separated by a finite distance exerts an attractive force on another body. If we talk about the gravitation of earth it attracts any object near to it with an acceleration of $9.8m{s^{ - 2}}$. So, gravitation is the property of any mass due which it attracts any other body with a force of $F = G\dfrac{{Mm}}{{{r^2}}}$.

Note: Gravitational force does not exist when the distance between the objects is in atomic level or the particles are atomic particles. At An atomic level there exist nuclear forces of attraction which are much stronger than the gravitational force of attraction.