This refuted the traditional assumption of scholastic physics that the power of gravitational attraction remained constant with distance whenever it applied between two bodies, such as was assumed by Kepler and also by Galileo in his mistaken universal law that gravitational fall is uniformly accelerated, and also by Galileo's student Borrelli in his 1666 celestial mechanics.
Det tilbageviste den antagelse i den traditionelle skolastiske fysik, at den tyngdemæssige tiltrækning havde konstant styrke trods afstanden, når den betragtedes mellem to legemer, sådan som det fejlagtigt blev lagt til grund af Kepler og også af Galileo i hans universelle lov om, at gravitationelt fald accelereres ensartet, og envidere også af Galileos student Borrelli i dennes himmelmekanik fra 1666.