Gravitational Constant

Universal constant setting the strength of gravity, and the least precisely measured fundamental constant.

Specifications & Metrics

symbol

G

status

Measured (CODATA 2022)

value

6.6743 × 10⁻¹¹ ± 1.5 × 10⁻¹⁵ m³·kg⁻¹·s⁻²

Relative Scale in Constants

Core Principles & Analysis

• First determined from Henry Cavendish's 1798 torsion-balance experiment, which effectively weighed the Earth.
• Known only to about 22 parts per million — thousands of times worse than most other fundamental constants.
• Appears identically in Newton's law of gravitation and in Einstein's field equations.

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