Correct option is B
The correct answer is (b)
Nm²/kg².
The gravitational constant (denoted by
G) appears in Newton's law of universal gravitation, which is given by:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
where:
·
F is the gravitational force between two masses,
·
G is the gravitational constant,
·
m1 and
m2 are the masses of the two objects,
·
r is the distance between the centers of the two masses.
To isolate the units of
G, we rearrange the equation:
G = F * r² / (m1 * m2)
In terms of units:
·
F has units of newtons (N),
·
r² has units of meters squared (m²),
·
m1 and
m2 have units of kilograms (kg).
So, the units of
G become:
G = N * m² / kg²
Therefore, the SI unit of the gravitational constant
G is
Nm²/kg², which matches option (b).
Information Booster: ● The gravitational constant
G is a universal constant used to calculate gravitational forces. ● The approximate value of
G is 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ Nm²/kg². ● It plays a crucial role in the law of universal gravitation, explaining the attractive force between two masses. ● The gravitational constant is a very small value, which is why gravitational forces are generally weak compared to other forces at smaller scales.