Std:- 11th IIT GRAVITATION ASSIGNMENT

Q1] A sphere of mass 40 kg is attracted by a second sphere of mass 15 kg, when their centres
are 20 cm apart, with a force of 0.1 milligram weight. Calculate the value of gravitational
constant.[ 6.53 × 10-11 Nm2kg-2]
Q2] The mass of planet Jupiter is 1.9 × 10 27 kg and that of the Sun is 1.99 × 1030 kg. The mean
distance of Jupiter from the Sun is 7.8 × 1011 m. Calculate the gravitational force which Sun
exerts on Jupiter. Assuming that Jupiter moves in circular orbit around the Sun, also calculate
the speed of Jupiter. G = 6.67 × 10-11 Nm2 kg-2. [4.15 × 1023N]
Q3] Gravitational force between two point masses m and M separated by a distance r is F. Now
if a point mass 3m is placed next to m, what will be the (a) force on M due to m, (b) total force
GMm
on M ? [a. F  b. 4F]
r2
Q4] Three equal masses of m kg each are fixed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle ABC.
a. What is the force acting on a mass 2m placed at the centroid G of the triangle?
b. What is the force if the mass at the vertex A is doubled? Take AG = BG = CG = 1 m.

[a. 0 b. 2GM2 along GA]

Q5] Three identical bodies, each of mass m, are located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle
with side r. At what speed must they move if they all revolve under the influence of one
another's gravitation in a circular orbit circumscribing the triangle while still preserving

the equilateral triangle? [ ]

Q6] Two masses 90 kg and 160 kg are at a distance 5 m apart. Compute she magnitude of
intensity of the gravitational field at a point distance 3 m from the 90 kg and 4 m from
the 160 kg mass. G = 6.67 × 10-11 kg-2 [ ]
Q7] Two bodies of masses 100 kg and 10,000 kg are at a distance 1 m apart. At which point on
the line joining them will the resultant gravitational field intensity be zero? [1/11 m]
Q8] Assuming the earth to be a uniform sphere of radius 6400 km and density 5.5 g/c.c., find
the value of g on its surface. G = 6.66 × 10-11 Nm2 kg-2. [9.82 m/s2]
Q9] A mass M is broken into two parts of masses m1 and m2. How are m1 and m2 related so that
force of gravitational attraction between the two parts is maximum?[ M/2 ]
Q10] Suppose the gravitational force varies inversely as the n th power of the distance. Show that
the time period of a planet in circular orbit of radius R around the Sun will be proportional to
R(n+1)/2.[ T  R (n 1) / 2 ]
Q11] A sphere of mass 40 kg is attracted by a second sphere of mass 60 kg with a force equal
to 4 mg. If G = 6 × 10-11 Nm2kg-2, calculate the distance between them. Acceleration due
to gravity = 10 ms-2. [ 6cm]
Q12] The earth (mass = 1024 kg) revolves round the Sun with an angular velocity 2 × 10-7 rad s-
1
in a circular orbit of radius 1.5 × 108 km. Find the force exerted by the Sun on the earth
(in × 1021N). [6]
Q13] The figure shows a uniform rod of length l whose mass per unit length is  . What is the
gravitational force of the rod on a particle of mass m located a distance d from one end
of the rod?

[ ]
Q14] Value of g on the surface of earth is 9.8 m/s2. Find its value on the surface of a planet
whose mass and radius both are two times that of earth. [4.9 m/s2]
Q 15] Value of g on the surface of earth is 9.8 m/s2. Find its value :
(a) at height h = R from the surface . [2.45m/s2]
Q16] A semicircular wire has a length L and mass M. Find the gravitational field at the centre

of the circle. [ ]
SINGLE SELECTION:-
Q1] The radius of the earth is about 6400 km and that of Mars is about 3200 km. The mass
of the earth is about 10 times the mass of Mars. An object weighs 200 N on the surface
of the earth. Its weight on the surface of mars would be
(a) 6N (b) 20 N (c) 40 N (d) 80 N
D
Q2] The gravitational force between two objects is proportional to 1/R (and not as 1/R2) where
R is separation between them, then a particle in circular orbit under such a force would
have its orbital speed v proportional to
1 1
(a) 2 (b) R0 (c) R1 (d)
R R
B
Q3] Two particles of equal mass go around a circle of radius R under the action of their mutual
gravitational attraction. The speed of each particle is
 1  1   Gm  1  Gm   4Gm 
(a) v    (b) v    (c) v    (d) v   
2R  Gm   2R  2  R   R 
C
Q4] If R is the radius of the earth and g the acceleration due to gravity on the earth's
surface, the mean density of the earth is
4G 3G 3g R
(a) (b) (c) (d)
3gR 4gR 4RG 12G
C
Q5] The distance between the centres of the Moon and the earth is D. The mass of the earth is
81 times the mass of the Moon. At what distance from the centre of the earth, the
gravitational force will be zero?
D 2D 4D 9D
(a) (b) (c) (d)
2 3 3 10
D
Q6] Two bodies with masses M1 and M2 are initially at rest and a distance R apart. Then they
move directly towards one another under the influence of their mutual gravitational
attraction. What is the ratio of the distances travelled by M1 to the distance travelled by
M2 ?
M M 1
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 1 (d)
M2 M1 2
B
Q7] A spherical shell is cut into two pieces along a chord as shown in the figure. P is a point
on the plane of the chord. The gravitational field at P due to the upper part is I1 and that
due to the lower part is I2. What is the relation between them?

(a) I1 > I2 (b) I1 < I2 (c) I1 = I2 (d) no definite

relation
C
Q8] The value of g at a particular point is 10 m s-2. Suppose the earth shrinks uniformly to half
of its present size without losing any mass. The value of g at the same point (assuming
that the distance of the point from the centre of the earth does not change) will now be
(a) 5 ms-2 (b) 10 ms-2 (c) 3 ms-2 (d) 20 ms-2
B
Q9] The mass of the earth is 81 times the mass of the Moon and the distance between the
earth and the Moon is 60 times the radius of the earth. If R is the radius of the earth,
then the distance between the Moon and the point on the line joining the Moon and the
earth where the gravitational force becomes zero is
(a) 30R (b) 15R (c) 6R (d) 5R
C
Q10] Suppose the gravitational force varies inversely as the nth power of the distance. Then,
the time period of a planet in a circular orbit of radius R around the Sun will be
proportional to
(n 1) (n 1)
(a) Rn (b) R 2
(c) R 2
(d) R-n
B
Q11] Four similar particles of mass m are orbiting in a circle of radius r in the same angular
direction because of their mutual gravitational attractive force. Velocity of a particle is
given by

1
 Gm  1  2 2   2 Gm
(a)     (b)
 r  4   r
1

Gm  1 Gm  1  2 2   2
(c) (1  2 2) (d)    
r  2 r  2  
Q12] Assertion : If the radius of earth is decreased keeping its mass constant, effective value
of g may increase or decrease at pole.
GM
Reason : Value of g on the surface of earth is given by g  .
R2
(a) If both Assertion and Reason are true and the Reason is correct explanation of the
Assertion.
(b) If both Assertion and Reason are true but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c) If Assertion is true, but the Reason is false.
(d) If Assertion is false but the Reason is true. [D]