Chapter 9
Gravity
Newton and gravity
Before Newton: gravity was thought to be
unique to earth.
But 2
nd
Law told Newton that the planets
orbits required a centripetal force.
Does one set of natural laws apply to the
apple and the moon?
Fig. 9.2
Fig. 9.1
Newtons hypothesis verified:
Earth moon distance was about 60 x earths radius
Newton could calculate a
c
= v
2
/r.
v is orbital speed of the moon, v = dist./time
The centripetal acceleration of the moon was 1/3600
of 9.8 m/s
2
.
s
m
hr day
hr
days
m
T
r
T
C
t
d
v 1023
)
min 1
sec 60
)(
1
min 60
)(
1
24
)( 3 . 27 (
) 000 , 000 , 384 ( 2 2
= = = = =
t t
2
2 2
/ 002725 . 0
000 , 000 , 384
) / 1023 (
s m
m
s m
r
v
a
c
= = =
3600
1
/ 8 . 9
/ 002725 . 0
2
2
=
s m
s m
Newtons hypothesis verified: (cont.)
Recall the distance was 60 times greater
So60 times greater distance and 3600 (60
2
)
less acceleration and thus 3600 times less
force means... F 1/d
2
But also, from the 3
rd
Law of motion: if the
force depended on the mass of the earth, it
should also depend on the mass of the moon.
So F m
1
x m
2.
> > > > >
XXXLaw of Universal Gravitation
Newtons Form:
Note: d is center to center distance for the two
masses.
Equation Form:
Could the value of G be found?
There is an attractive force between any two
objects!
2
2 1
d
m m
F
2
2 1
d
m Gm
F =
Universal Gravitational Constant, G
Could be found if the force between two known
masses was measured.
100 years later Henry Cavendish and later Jolly
Magnitude of G is identical to the force between
two 1kg masses 1 m apart or .0000000000667 N!
G = 6.67 x 10
-11
Nm
2
/kg
2
We can explain why force is small for even large
objects like an aircraft carrier and a battleship.
Gravity is the weakest of the four known forces in
nature, but it is in effect over great distances
Gravitational forces are always attractive.
Fig. 9.4
The inverse square relationship
Recall last chapter we saw a direct square
relationship between kinetic energy and speed.
K
E
(
J
)
1 2 3
Speed (m/s)
9
4
1
2
2
1
mv KE=
KE v
2
Fig. 9.6
Gravitational force between the
rocket and the earth decreases
with distance squared
Fig. 9.3
Weight, not mass
decreases with distance
between the centers of mass
Fig. 9.7
Gravitational Force
Q. Planet A and B orbit the same star at the same distance,
but planet B has 6 times the mass of planet A. How does the
gravitational force on planet B compare with the gravitational
force on planet A?
Mass B = 6x mass A
6 x MORE Force acting on B than acting on A
These are action reaction pairs!
d
2
m
1
x m
2
G
F =
Gravitational Force
Q. Planet A and B orbit the same star at the same distance,
but planet B has 6 times the mass of planet A. How does the
gravitational force on planet B compare with the gravitational
force on planet A?
A. Mass B = 6x mass A
6 x MORE Force acting on B than acting on A
These are each action reaction pairs!
Gravitational Force
Q. What is the persons weight when the star shrinks to
half its original radius?
A.
2
2 1
d
m m
G F = 2
2
1
2 1
|
.
|
\
|
=
d
m m
G F
So? . . .
F = or 4 X ?
Gravitational Force
Q. What is the persons weight when the star shrinks to
half its original radius?
A. . . . = 4X !!!
Weight and Weightlessness
True weightlessness?
Astronauts: apparent weightlessness.
You might appear to be weightless if we say
your weight is the force a supporting scale on
a supporting surface exerts on you. See fig 9.8
and 9.9.
Fig. 9.8
There has to be a support
Force to measure weight!
Fig. 9.9
Fig. 9.11
Orbiting objects, the space station, the
space shuttle and the astronauts inside
See Figure
9.10
Are in free fall!
The moon is really in free fall around the earth!
Fig. 9.2
