Key points derived from “Important Points about Gravitational Force” and compared with electric and magnetic forces.
| Aspect | Gravitational Force | Electric Force | Magnetic Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Always attractive | Attractive or repulsive | Attractive or repulsive |
| Acts between | Masses | Electric charges | Moving charges / magnetic poles |
| Dependence on medium | Independent of intervening medium | Depends on nature of medium | Depends on nature of medium |
| Conservative? | Conservative force | Conservative (electrostatic case) | Non-conservative (general case) |
| Governing constant | Gravitational constant G | Coulomb’s constant k (or permittivity ε) | Magnetic permeability μ |
| Constant depends on | G does not depend on nature/size of masses | Depends on medium (ε) | Depends on medium (μ) |
| Hollow spherical shell (outside) | As if entire mass is concentrated at the centre of the shell | Not applicable (needs charge distribution rules) | Not applicable |
| Inside hollow shell | Net force due to shell on an inside point mass is zero | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Symmetry | Possesses spherical symmetry | Depends on charge distribution | Depends on current/field geometry |
| Relative strength | Very weak | Much stronger than gravity | Comparable to electric (context-dependent) |
| Range | Infinite | Infinite | Infinite |
| Shielding | Not possible | Possible | Possible |