Final answer:
Gravitational force is an attractive force between masses, with the gravitational constant G as its proportionality factor. Factors affecting this force include the masses involved and the distance between them. The SI unit for G is 6.674 × 10^-11 N·m²/kg².
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Gravitational Force?
The gravitational force is a force that describes the interaction of one object with mass with another object with mass. This force is what we commonly refer to as gravity which causes objects to be attracted to one another. The gravitational force can be explained by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that every point mass attracts every other point mass by a force acting along the line intersecting both points.
Factors Affecting Gravitational Force
The factors that affect gravitational force include the masses of the two objects involved (denoted as m and M) and the distance (r) between their centers. According to the formula F = GmM/r^2, where F is the magnitude of the gravitational force and G is the gravitational constant, it's clear that the force increases with greater masses and decreases as the distance between them increases.
SI Unit of Gravitational Force (G)
The SI unit of the gravitational constant G is 6.674 × 10^-11 N·m²/kg². When two 1.000 kg masses are separated by a distance of 1.000 m, they will exert a gravitational force on each other of 6.674 × 10^-11 N, which demonstrates the extraordinarily small magnitude of the gravitational force in everyday experiences.