TUTORIAL GRAVITATION

Constant value
Mass of the Sun = 1.99 x 1030 kg ,
Mass of the Earth = 5.97 x 1024 kg,
Radius of the Earth = 6.37 x 106 m,
G = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2,
Mass of the Moon = 7.34 x 1022 kg,
Radius of the Moon = 1.74 x 106 m
1. Calculate gravitational force between the Sun and the Earth where the distance between centre to centre
is 1.5 x 1011 m.

2. Two persons with mass of 80 kg respectively stand with a distance 50 cm. Calculate the gravitational
force between them. Compare the value of the gravitational force with their weight.

3. A spacecraft Columbus has mass of 3 x104 kg is launched from the Earht to the Moon. Calculate the
gravitational force between the spacecraft and the Earth when the distance between the spacecraft is 1.2
x 109 m from the center of the Earth.

4. What is the height from the surface of the Earth if the value of gravitational force is 1/3 from on the
surface of the Earth.

5. A communication satellite has a mass of 80 kg is orbiting the earth at the height 1.5 x 106 m from the
surface of the earth. Calculate the gravitational acceleration on the object.
6. Plot graph which shows the variation of g with r from the centre of the Earth to infinit.

7. Calculate the gravitational acceleration, g on the surface of the Earth.

8. Gravitational acceration on the Earth’s surface is 10 m s-2. If the mass of the

Earth is M, and radius of the Earth R. Calculate the gravitational acceleration at point S distance of 3R
above the surface.

9. A satellite has a mass of 600 kg is orbitng the Earth at a height 300 km from the Earth surface. Calculate
i) Speed of the satellite orbiting the Earth.
ii) The orbiting period.

10. A geostationary satellite is orbiting the Earth in 24 hours. Therefore, the satellite always be at the same
point on the Earth’s surface. Calculate the radius of the satellite’s orbit.
11. A satellite is send near the surface of the Earth with a speed and is orbiting the Earth. Calculate the
satellite’ speed and the period for one complete round to resolves around the Earth.

12. A satellite is at the distance, r from the centre of the Earth. By using the Universal’s Gravitational law,
calculate the satellite’s speed and period for resolving around the Earth in terms of mass of the Earth, m,
r and gravity constant G.

13. Calculate the energy to send a 50 kg aircraft without man to space from the surface of the Earth..

14. What is the minimum speed needed by a spacecraft to escape from a planet where the mass of the
planet is half the mass of the Earth but same size.

15. Determine the mass of the Earth from the period, T (27.3 days) and the radius, r (3.82 x 10 5 km) of the
Moon’s orbit about the Earth. Assume the Moon orbits the centre of the Earth.
16. Two of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, Io and Europe, make a complete revolution around it over the periods
T1=1.77 days and T2 = 3.55 days. Knowing that Io revolves around Jupiter at a distance of 421600 km,
determine the linear velocity of Europe’s motion in its orbit.

17. A 20 kg satellite has a circular orbit with a period of 2.4 h and a radius of 8.0 x 10 6 m around a planet of
unknown mass. If the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration on the surface of the planet is 8.0 m s -2,
what is the radius of the planet.