Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Four balls of each sit at the corners of a square of side . What is the net gravitational force on one of them from the other three?
Newton's law of gravitation: , with and between the centres. The pulls on the two bodies are equal and opposite; for several bodies they add as vectors.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. , side , diagonal .
Step 1. Neighbours. Each pulls .
Step 2. Diagonal. .
Step 3. Add. The two side pulls give along the diagonal; with the third, .
Answer: , toward the centre of the square.
Watch out. Forces are vectors. Adding the three sizes directly gives too much.
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