https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/v/gravitational-force 2025-06-20T17:00:10.254290374Z Gravitational force Objects with mass exert gravitational forces on each other. Gravitational forces are always attractive. Gravity is a non-contact force that does not require objects be touching in order to act. Instead, the gravitational force can be modeled as acting through a gravitational field. The strength of the gravitational forces two objects exert on each other depends on the masses of both objects, as well as the distance between their centers of mass. Mahesh Shenoy video https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka_thumbnails_cache/5c4f03d6-491b-4a7a-8df2-d28fd6b0890b_1280_720_base.png Gravitational force Objects with mass exert gravitational forces on each other. Gravitational forces are always attractive. Gravity is a non-contact force that does not require objects be touching in order to act. Instead, the gravitational force can be modeled as acting through a gravitational field. The strength of the gravitational forces two objects exert on each other depends on the masses of both objects, as well as the distance between their centers of mass. https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-youtube-converted/R0XFqHBZfHc.mp4/R0XFqHBZfHc.mp4 489 Gravitational Field https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/a/gravitational-forces 2026-04-26T16:30:39.382257956Z Learn and try: Gravitational force Use a PhET simulation to investigate the gravitational forces two masses exert on each other. Explore how mass and distance affect the strengths of gravitational forces. article https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/e/understand-gravitational-forces 2026-04-26T16:30:39.382257956Z Understand: Gravitational force Check your understanding of gravitational force in this set of free practice questions. Khan Academy exercise https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/e/apply-gravitational-force 2026-05-01T13:40:34.883034315Z Apply: Gravitational force Apply your knowledge of gravitational force in this set of free practice questions. Emily Cizmas exercise https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/v/gravitational-forces-and-fields 2025-10-06T15:00:50.153987624Z Gravitational forces and fields Newton’s law of universal gravitation describes the gravitational forces two objects exert on each other. The gravitational force is always attractive and is exerted along the line connecting the two objects’ centers of mass. The gravitational field created by an object at a point in space is the gravitational force exerted on another test object at that location, divided by the mass of the test object. If the gravitational force is the only force exerted on an object, the observed acceleration of the object (in m/s^2) is numerically equal to the magnitude of the gravitational field strength (in N/kg) at that location. Mahesh Shenoy video https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka_thumbnails_cache/3d2b9d1b-161f-45a9-a497-effe8b9f3593_1280_720_base.png Gravitational forces and fields Newton’s law of universal gravitation describes the gravitational forces two objects exert on each other. The gravitational force is always attractive and is exerted along the line connecting the two objects’ centers of mass. The gravitational field created by an object at a point in space is the gravitational force exerted on another test object at that location, divided by the mass of the test object. If the gravitational force is the only force exerted on an object, the observed acceleration of the object (in m/s^2) is numerically equal to the magnitude of the gravitational field strength (in N/kg) at that location. https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-youtube-converted/CJV7RZNCN28.mp4/CJV7RZNCN28.mp4 735 Gravitational Field https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cambridge-o-level-physics-cie/x0e04e0cb682fb793:mass-weight-and-density/x0e04e0cb682fb793:gravitational-field/v/weight-apparent-weight-and-weightlessness 2025-10-06T15:00:50.153987624Z Weight, apparent weight, and weightlessness The gravitational force exerted by an astronomical body on a relatively small nearby object is called weight. The magnitude of the apparent weight of an object is the magnitude of the normal force exerted on the object. If the system is accelerating vertically, the apparent weight of the object is not equal to the magnitude of the gravitational force exerted on the object. A system appears weightless when there are no forces exerted on the system, or when the force of gravity is the only force exerted on the system. Mahesh Shenoy video https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka_thumbnails_cache/9a25deb7-ba6c-4d1a-acce-0653b0038687_1280_720_base.png Weight, apparent weight, and weightlessness The gravitational force exerted by an astronomical body on a relatively small nearby object is called weight. The magnitude of the apparent weight of an object is the magnitude of the normal force exerted on the object. If the system is accelerating vertically, the apparent weight of the object is not equal to the magnitude of the gravitational force exerted on the object. A system appears weightless when there are no forces exerted on the system, or when the force of gravity is the only force exerted on the system. https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-youtube-converted/tVsYgAM8MV4.mp4/tVsYgAM8MV4.mp4 750 Gravitational Field