What does the equation F = Gmm/r² represent in physics?

The equation F = Gmm/r² represents the force of gravity between two masses, where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m is the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between their centers. This equation is derived from Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that every point mass attracts every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

In this context, it accurately captures the relationship between gravitational force and the factors influencing it—specifically, the magnitude of the masses and their separation distance. Understanding this formula is critical in gravitational physics and helps explain how objects influence each other's motion through gravitational attraction, a fundamental concept in both classical mechanics and astrophysics.