Physics - Gravitational Fields
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Flashcards
What is the equation for gravitational field strength, $g$?
What are the two possible units for gravitational field strength?
What is the wordy explanation of gravitational field strength?
The gravitational force exerted per unit mass on a small object placed at a point within the field.
What simplifying assumption do we make for planets and stars when calculating gravitational fields?
They are point masses.
What does this picture show?
What does this picture show?That the gravitational field close to a planet’s surface can be modelled as uniform.
What are the lines on a gravitational field diagram called?
Field lines.
What two things does Newton’s law of gravitation state?
The force between two point masses is:
- Directly proportional to the product of the masses.
- Inversely proportional to the square of their separation.
What is the equation for Newton’s law of gravitation?
\[F = -\frac{GMm}{r^2}\]
What is $G$ here?
The gravitational constant.
\[F = -\frac{GMm}{r^2}\]
Why is there a minus sign here?
To show that the force is attractive.
What is the approximate value of $G$, the gravitational constant?
When determining the gravitational force between multiple objects, what do you need to do?
Do the vector addition of all possible pairings.
2021-12-01
What is the formula for $g$ in terms of $r$ and $M$?
What is the radius of the Earth?
What is the mass of the Earth?
What is the most common failure mode answering gravitational field questions?
Not converting distances to meters.