Universal Gravitation

Answers

29. What would happen to the weight of an object if its

mass was doubled while its distance from the center of
the Earth was also doubled?

Fg = Gm1m2
r2
Fg is directly proportional to the objects masses
So doubling mass doubles Fgrav

Fgrav is inversely proportional to the square of

the distance between them
So doubling distance Fgrav is as much

Net change: 2 x =
Fg is as much

30. The gravitational attraction between a 20. kg

cannonball and a marble separated center-to-center
by 30. cm is 1.48 x 10-10 N. Compute the mass of the
marble.
m2
Fg = Gm1m2 m2 = Fg r2
r2
G m1
Fg = 1.48 x 10- m = (1.48 x 10-10 N) (0.30 m)2
10 N
6.67 x 10-11 N m2 (20.kg)
m1 = 20. kg
kg2
r = 0.30 m
m = 1.0 x 10-2 kg

32. At what center-to-center distance from the Earth

would a 1.0-kg mass weigh 1.0 N?
r

Fg = Gm1m2
r2

r = Gm1m2
Fg

Fg = 1.0N
m2 = 1.0 kg
m1 = 5.975 x
1024 kg

r = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 (5.975 x 1024kg)(1

kg)

kg2
(1.0 N)
r = 2.0 x 107 m

35. If the average distance between Uranus and

Neptune is 4.9 x 109 km, and mass of Uranus = 14.6M
while the mass of Neptune is 17.3M, compute their
average gravitational force.
Fg
Fg = Gm1m2
r2
m1 = 17.3(5.975 x
1024 kg)
= 1.03 x 1026 kg
m2 = 14.6(5.975 x
1024 kg)
= 8.72 x 1025 kg
r = 4.9 x 1012 m

Fg = 6.67x10-11Nm2(1.03x1026kg)
(8.72x1025kg)
kg2
(4.9x1012 m)2
Fg = 2.5 x 1016 N

39. Consider two subatomic particles, an electron and a

proton, which have masses of 9.1 x 10-31 kg and 1.7 x 1027
kg, respectively. When separated by a distance of 5.3 x
10-11 m, as they are in a hydrogen atom, the electrical
attraction (FE) between them is 8.2 x 10-8 N. Compare this
with the corresponding gravitational interaction. How
many times larger is FE than FG?
Fg
Fg = Gm1m2
r2
m1 = 1.7 x 10-27 kg
Fg = 6.67x10-11Nm2(1.7 x 10-27kg)(9.1
m2 = 9.1 x 10-31 kg x 10-31kg)
kg2
(5.3 x 10-11 m)2
r = 5.3 x 10-11 m
Fg = 3.7 x 10 -47 N
this is about 2.2 x 1039 times
weaker than FE