All Flashcards
What are the key differences between gravitational force near Earth's surface and far from Earth's surface?
Near Earth's Surface: (R is Earth's radius, g is approximately constant) | Far from Earth's Surface: (r is distance from Earth's center, g varies with distance)
Describe the steps to calculate gravitational force between two objects.
- Identify the masses ( and ) of the two objects. 2. Determine the distance (r) between their centers. 3. Use the formula to calculate the force, where G is the gravitational constant.
Explain how to find the acceleration due to gravity (g) near Earth's surface.
- Use the formula , where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth, and R is the radius of the Earth. 2. Plug in the values to calculate g.
Outline the motion of an object falling from a great height under variable gravitational force.
- Object accelerates due to gravity. 2. Velocity and acceleration increase. 3. Air resistance leads to terminal velocity. 4. Velocity becomes constant; acceleration becomes zero. 5. As it approaches the surface, gravity may slightly decrease, impacting the surface.
Define Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
Every object attracts every other object with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
What is the gravitational constant (G)?
The gravitational constant (G) is a fundamental constant of nature with a value of approximately .
Define gravitational field.
A gravitational field is a field created by a massive object that exerts a force on other objects with mass.
What is a conservative force?
A conservative force is a force where the work done is path-independent, and the total work on a closed path is zero. Gravity is a conservative force.
Define terminal velocity.
Terminal velocity is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium through which it is falling prevents further acceleration.