All Flashcards
What are the key differences between inertial and gravitational mass?
Inertial mass: Resistance to changes in motion | Gravitational mass: Relates to the force of gravitational attraction.
How does weight differ from apparent weight?
Weight: Gravitational force exerted on an object | Apparent weight: Magnitude of the normal force acting on an object.
Define Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
The force of attraction between any two objects with mass, directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
What is the gravitational field model?
A way to visualize how gravity affects objects in space, predicting how objects move under gravity’s influence without direct contact.
Define gravitational field strength (g).
The gravitational force per unit mass, expressed as .
What is weight?
The gravitational force exerted on an object by a celestial body.
Define apparent weight.
The force you feel (the normal force), which isn't always the same as your actual weight (gravitational force).
What is inertial mass?
A measure of how much an object resists changes in its motion.
What is gravitational mass?
The property of an object that determines the strength of its gravitational interaction with other objects.
Define weightlessness.
The sensation of having no weight, either because no forces are acting on you, or gravity is the only force acting on you.
What is the effect of increasing the mass of two objects on the gravitational force between them?
Increasing either mass increases the gravitational force proportionally.
What is the effect of increasing the distance between two objects on the gravitational force between them?
Increasing the distance decreases the gravitational force by the square of the distance.
What is the effect of upward acceleration on apparent weight?
Increased apparent weight.
What is the effect of downward acceleration on apparent weight?
Decreased apparent weight.
What is the effect of being in free fall?
Weightlessness.
What is the effect of an object having more inertial mass?
The object is harder to accelerate.
What is the effect of an object having more gravitational mass?
The object exerts a stronger gravitational pull.