All Flashcards
Define gravitational mass.
Gravitational mass is a measure of how strongly an object interacts with gravity, determining the gravitational force it experiences in a gravitational field.
Define inertial mass.
Inertial mass is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion. It quantifies how much force is needed to accelerate the object.
What is Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?
It describes the attractive force between two masses: F = G rac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}, where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, and are the masses, and r is the distance between their centers.
Define acceleration due to gravity (g).
The acceleration at which objects fall near the Earth's surface (in a vacuum), approximately 9.8 m/s², due to Earth's gravitational field. g = rac{GM}{r^2}, where M is the mass of the planet.
What is the conservation of mass?
The total amount of mass in a closed system remains constant over time; mass is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed.
Define the Equivalence Principle.
The equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass, implying all objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum, and forming a cornerstone of general relativity.
What is the effect of increasing gravitational mass on gravitational force?
Increasing gravitational mass results in a stronger gravitational force.
What is the effect of increasing inertial mass on the force required for acceleration?
Increasing inertial mass requires more force to achieve the same acceleration.
What is the effect of dropping a feather and a hammer in a vacuum?
Both the feather and the hammer fall at the same rate, demonstrating that acceleration due to gravity is independent of mass.
What is the effect of placing an object twice the Earth's radius away from the center?
The acceleration due to gravity is one-fourth as much compared to the surface of the Earth.
Define Gravitational Mass.
Gravitational mass is a measure of how strongly an object interacts with gravity, determining the gravitational force it experiences.
Define Inertial Mass.
Inertial mass is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion, indicating how much force is needed to accelerate it.
Define Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
The gravitational force (F) between two masses ( and ) is described by: F = G rac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}, where G is the gravitational constant and r is the distance between the centers of the masses.
Define Acceleration due to Gravity (g).
The acceleration at which objects fall near the Earth's surface (in a vacuum), approximately 9.8 m/s², given by: g = rac{GM}{r^2}, where M is the mass of the planet.
Define Conservation of Mass.
The total amount of mass in a closed system remains constant over time; mass is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed.
Define Newton's Second Law.
Newton's Second Law relates force, mass, and acceleration: , where F is the net force, m is the inertial mass, and a is the acceleration.