Knowra Gravitational acceleration Gravitational acceleration Gravitational acceleration is the acceleration a body experiences due to gravitational forces. Near Earth’s surface, it is approximately 9.81 metres per second squared for freely falling objects.
Gravitational field : A physical field that describes the gravitational force per unit mass at each point in space. Field strength gives the local acceleration of a test body.
Acceleration : The rate at which an object's velocity changes with time. Gravitational acceleration is one specific cause of a change in velocity.
Gravimetry : The measurement of variations in a gravitational field to infer mass distributions or geological structure. Small acceleration differences reveal underground density contrasts.
Standard gravity : The conventional reference value of gravitational acceleration, defined as exactly 9.80665 metres per second squared. It is a fixed standard, not the exact local acceleration everywhere on Earth.
Newton's law of universal gravitation : A law stating that masses attract with a force proportional to their product and inversely proportional to distance squared. It predicts the acceleration caused by a source mass.
Gravitational force : The attractive interaction between masses, described by Newtonian gravity or general relativity. The force on a body produces its gravitational acceleration.
Pendulum : A suspended body that swings under gravity, often used to measure time or local gravitational acceleration. Its period provides a way to estimate local acceleration.
Earth's gravity : The gravitational attraction exerted by Earth, varying with location and distance from the planet. Its surface acceleration changes with altitude, latitude, and Earth's internal mass distribution.
Gravitational constant : The proportionality constant in Newton's law of universal gravitation, denoted G. Its value sets the strength of acceleration produced by a given mass.
Mass : A physical property measuring inertia and, in gravity, the strength of a body's gravitational interaction. A body's gravitational force and its resistance to acceleration both depend on mass.
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