G

G (gravitational constant), symbol that stands for the force of gravity. Newton's law of gravitation states that the gravitational attraction between any 2 bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In other words, the greater the mass of 2 bodies, the greater the force of attraction between them; the further apart 2 bodies are, the less the force of attraction between them is. The gravitational constant, G, is the constant of proportionality in these equations.

See also: Gravitation.