Tuesday, November 18, 2025

What apparatus is used to measure the gravitational force between two objects?

 The primary apparatus for measuring the gravitational force between two objects is a torsion balance, famously used in the Cavendish experiment. For measuring the gravitational force of a planet, a gravimeter is used, which can be based on a spring or a free-fall method. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]


Torsion Balance
  • Principle: This device measures the extremely small twist in a wire caused by the gravitational pull between two large, known masses and two smaller masses suspended at the ends of a rod.
  • Function: By measuring the angle of the twist (often using a mirror and laser pointer), the force can be calculated. This was the first method to accurately measure the gravitational constant, . [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Gravimeter
  • Principle: A gravimeter is used to measure the Earth's gravitational field, which is a measure of gravitational acceleration (). It works on the principle that gravitational force is a type of acceleration.
  • Function: It measures the gravitational force exerted by the Earth on an object.
    • Spring-based gravimeters: Use a spring to counteract the force of gravity. The change in the spring's length is calibrated to the force required to balance the pull.
    • Absolute gravimeters: Directly measure the acceleration of a free-falling mass in a vacuum. [1, 2, 3, 9, 10]

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