Newton's theory of universal gravitation, formulated in the late 17th century, posits that every mass attracts every other mass in the universe. Here are several key statements about its development:
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Inspired by Kepler’s Laws: Newton's work was influenced by Johannes Kepler's laws of planetary motion, which described the orbits of planets around the sun.
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Mathematical Formulation: Newton articulated the relationship between the mass of the objects and the distance between them, leading to the formulation of the law of gravitation: \( F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \).
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Incorporation of Earth's Gravity: He extended the concept of gravity beyond celestial bodies to explain how apples fall to the ground, showing that the same force governs both celestial and terrestrial phenomena.
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Unified Motion: Newton's theory unified celestial and terrestrial mechanics, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding motion under the influence of gravity.
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Published in "Principia": His ideas were published in "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) in 1687, which laid the groundwork for classical mechanics.
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