What is gravitation?

   Gravitation is a universal force existing in nature. The law of universal gravitation was enunciated first by Sir Isaac Newton. Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force proportionate to the product of their masses and inversely proportionate to the square of their distance apart. According to this principle, two masses with weights of 3 and 4 at a distance apart of 1 would attract each other with a force of 3 X 4 or 12. The same masses at a distance apart of 2 would attract each other with a force of 12 divided by the square of 2, which would give an attractive force of 3. At a distance apart of 3 they would attract each other with a force of 12 divided by the square of 3, which gives 11-3. The earth, like all moving bodies, tends to go in a straight line in whatever direction it happens to be moving. Were it not for gravitation, the path of the earth would be a straight line, and we should in time get so far from the sun that all life would be frozen. The attraction of gravity, however, draws the earth toward the sun. The two forces counteract each other. Instead of falling toward the sun or going off in a straight line, we take an intermediate direction which carries us round and round the sun ceaselessly. The fixed stars, some of which are larger that the sun even, are too far away to affect the earth's course sensibly. The earth draws the sun with a force equal to that with which the sun draws the earth, but the sun is so heavy in comparison with the weight of the earth that the sun scarcely budges, while the earth does the falling. Gravitation refers to the attraction of gravitation between the earth and bodies near its surface.