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  • 5.2: Centripetal Force and the Universal Law of Gravitation

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    A dramatic application of centripetal force is the Universal Law of Gravitation. Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), the German astronomer and mathematician, created three laws that pertain to orbital motion during the Renaissance period. At this time, physics and astronomy were two separate fields of study. Kepler developed these three laws independently from the laws of physics we know today.