Whose formula describes gravity?
Quick Answer
Isaac Newton described gravity with his law of universal gravitation in 1687, and Albert Einstein later gave a deeper description with general relativity in 1915.
The Full Story
In 1687 Isaac Newton published his law of universal gravitation, which states that every mass attracts every other mass with a force that grows with their masses and weakens with the square of the distance between them. This single formula explained both falling apples and the orbits of planets, and it dominated physics for over two centuries. In 1915 Albert Einstein reframed gravity in his general theory of relativity, describing it not as a force but as the curving of space and time by mass and energy. Einstein theory made predictions Newton could not, such as the bending of light by gravity. Both descriptions are used today, depending on the situation.
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The Formula of Gravity β From Newton to Einstein"