Gravitation
Gravitation
SUBJECT- PHYSICS
NAME OF THE CHAPTER- GRAVITATION
MODULE-1
How does the force of gravitation between two objects change when mass of
one object is increases to three times ?
Ans- m is replaced by 3m
Force of attraction increases 3 times
How does the force of gravitation between two objects change when the
distance between them is reduced to three times, while mass of one object is
increases to three times?
Ans- m is replaced by 3m and d is replaced by d/3
It gives Force of attraction increases 27 times
Importance of Universal law of Gravitation
The universal law of gravitation successfully explained several
phenomena which were
believed to be unconnected:
3. The cube of the mean distance of a planet from the Sun is proportional
to the square of its orbital period T. Or, = constant.
It is seen that a falling apple is attracted towards the
earth. Does the apple attract the earth? If so, we do not
see the earth moving towards an apple. Why?
According to the third law of motion, the apple does
attract the earth. But according to the second law of
motion, for a given force, acceleration is inversely
proportional to the mass of an object. The mass of an
apple is negligibly small compared to that of the earth.
So, we do not see the earth moving towards the apple.
Extend the same argument for why the earth does not
move towards the moon.
❖ State the Universal law of Gravitation .
❖ Write the formula to find the magnitude of the gravitational force between the Earth and an object on the
surface of the earth.
❖ How does the force of gravitation between two objects change when the distance between them is reduced
to one fourth?
❖ What do we call the gravitational force between the earth and object?
❖ The earth and the moon are attracted to each other by gravitational force. Does the earth attract the moon
with a force that is greater or smaller or the same as the force with which the moon attracts the earth?
Why?
❖ What is the magnitude of the gravitational force between the earth and 1 kg object on its surface? (Mass
of the earth 6 x 1024 kg and radius of the earth is 6.4 x 106 m.