All Flashcards
Define Gravitational Force.
The force of attraction between any two objects with mass.
Define Free Fall.
When the only force acting on an object is gravity.
Define Gravitational Field.
A region of space where a mass experiences a gravitational force; a vector field.
What is 'g'?
Gravitational field strength (acceleration due to gravity).
Define Weight.
The gravitational force acting on an object.
What is ?
The universal gravitational constant ().
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass: Amount of matter in an object. Weight: Gravitational force acting on an object.
What is the difference between gravitational force and gravitational field?
Gravitational Force: The force of attraction between two masses. Gravitational Field: A region of space where a mass experiences a gravitational force.
Compare the effect of distance on gravitational force vs. gravitational field strength.
Both decrease with the square of the distance, following an inverse-square law.
What is the difference between and ?
: Universal gravitational constant. : Gravitational field strength (acceleration due to gravity).
Compare gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy in the context of orbital motion.
Gravitational potential energy: Energy due to position in a gravitational field. Kinetic energy: Energy due to motion. In orbit, these energies are constantly interchanging.
Compare Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and the Gravitational Field Equation.
Newton's Law: F = G rac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}, calculates the force between two masses. Field Equation: g = G rac{M}{r^2}, calculates the gravitational field strength due to a single mass.
In a diagram of gravitational field lines, what does the direction of the lines indicate?
The direction of the gravitational force; field lines point towards the center of the mass creating the field.
In a diagram of gravitational field lines, what does the spacing of the lines indicate?
The strength of the gravitational field; closer lines indicate a stronger field.
A satellite is orbiting a planet. What force provides the centripetal force?
The gravitational force between the planet and the satellite.
If a planet has a greater mass, how would its gravitational field lines differ from a planet with less mass?
The planet with greater mass would have more dense and closely spaced gravitational field lines.
What is the shape of the gravitational field lines surrounding a spherical object?
Radially inward, converging towards the center of the sphere.