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GeneralPhysics1 Q2 Module-2 Gravity v5
GeneralPhysics1 Q2 Module-2 Gravity v5
GeneralPhysics1 Q2 Module-2 Gravity v5
GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Quarter 2 – Module 2
GRAVITY
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GENERAL
PHYSICS 1
Quarter 2 - Module 2
GRAVITY
FAIR USE AND CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This SLM (Self Learning Module) is for
educational purposes only. Borrowed materials (i.e. songs, stories, poems, pictures,
photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in these modules are owned by their
respective copyright holders. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.
Table of Contents
Lesson 4: ORBITS
What’s In...................................................................................................... 10
What I Need to Know ........................................................................ 10
What Is It ........................................................................................ ..10
What’s More..................................................................................... .12
• Use Newton’s Law of gravitation to infer gravitational force, weight, and acceleration due
to gravity (STEM_GP12G-IIb-16);
• Discuss the physical significance of gravitational field; (STEM_GP12RedIIb-18)
• Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion; (STEM_GP12RedIIb-20)
• For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s third law of planetary motion to Newton’s law of
gravitation and centripetal acceleration; (STEM_GP12G-IIc-22)
i
How to Learn from this Module
ii
What I Know
Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.
8. How much GPE does a 2-kg block have if it is lifted 12.5 m high?
A. 480 J B. 490 J C. 500 J D. 510 J
10. He was a Danish astronomer who worked with Kepler. The data collected were used
by Kepler in his laws.
A. Aristotle C. Tycho Brahe
B. Archimedes D. None of them
iii
Lesson
NEWTON’S LAW OF
1 UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION
1
What’s In
The example of gravitational attraction that’s probably most familiar to you is your
weight, the force that attracts you towards the earth. During Newton’s study of the motions of
the planets and of the moon, he discovered the fundamental character of the gravitational
attraction between two bodies. Along with his three laws of motion, Newton published the Law
of Gravitation in 1687. It may be stated as follows:
“Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force
that is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.”
This equation tells us that the gravitational force between two particles decreases with
increasing distance r. It means to say that if the distance is doubled, the force is only one-fourth
as great, and so on. Although many of the stars in the night sky are far more massive than the
sun, they are so far away that their gravitational force on the earth is negligibly small.
2
What’s New
To determine the value of the gravitational constant G, you have to measure the
gravitational force between two bodies of known masses m1 and m2 at a known distance r. The
force is extremely small for bodies that are small enough to be brought into the laboratory, but
it can be measured with an instrument called a torsion balance, which Sir Henry Cavendish
used in 1798 to determine G.
The figure below shows an illustration of the Cavendish torsion balance. A light, rigid
rod shaped like an inverted T is supported by a very thin, vertical quartz fiber. The two small
spheres, each of mass m1, are mounted at the two ends of the horizontal arms of the T. When
the two large spheres, each of mass m2 are brought to the positions as shown, the attraction of
gravitational forces twist the T through a small angle. To measure this angle, a beam of light is
shone on a mirror fastened to the T. The reflected beam strikes a scale, and as the T twists, the
reflected beam moves along the scale. After calibrating the Cavendish balance, the gravitational
forces can be measured and thus G is determined. The presently accepted value of G is
3
Gravitational forces combine vectorialy.If each of two masses exerts a force on a third,
the total force on the third mass is the vector sum of the individual forces of the first two.
What Is It
Example:
The mass m1 of one of the small spheres of a Cavendish balance is 0.0100 kg, the mass
m2 of the nearest large sphere is 0.500 kg, and the center-to-center distance between them is
0.0500 m. Find the gravitational force Fg on each sphere due to the other.
Solution:
Because the spheres are spherically symmetric, we can calculate Fg by treating them
as particles separated by 0.0500 m. Each sphere experiences the same magnitude of force
from the other sphere. Use Newton’s law of gravitation to determine Fg:
Solution:
In the previous example, each sphere exerts on the other a gravitational force of the
same magnitude Fg. Any other forces can be neglected. The acceleration magnitudes a1 and
a2 are different because the masses are not the same. To determine the acceleration a1 and a2,
use Newton’s second law:
4
What’s More
1. The moon has a mass of 7.34 10 22 kg and a radius of 1.74 106 meters. If your
mass is 66 kg, how strong is the force between you and the moon?
2. A distance of 0.002 m separates two objects of equal mass. If the gravitational force
between them is 0.0104 N, find the mass of each object.
5
Lesson
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
2
What’s In
A useful way to describe forces that act at a distance is in terms of a field. One body
sets up a disturbance or field at all points in space, and the force that acts on a second body at
a particular point is its response to the first body’s field at that point. There is a field associated
with each force that acts at a distance, and so we refer to the gravitational fields, electric fields,
magnetic fields, and so on. We won’t need the field concept for our study of gravitation in this
chapter, so we won’t discuss it further here. But in later chapters we’ll find that the field concept
is an extraordinarily powerful tool for describing electric and magnetic interactions.
What Is It
Gravitation is the most important force on the scale of planets, stars, and galaxies. It is
responsible for holding our earth together and for keeping the planets in orbit about the sun.
The mutual gravitational attraction between different parts of the sun compresses material at
the sun’s core to very high densities and temperatures, making it possible for nuclear reactions
to take place there. These reactions generate the sun’s energy output, which makes it possible
for life to exist on earth and for you to read these words.
The gravitational force is so important on the cosmic scale because it acts at a distance,
without any direct contact between bodies. Electric and magnetic forces have this same
remarkable property, but they are less important on astronomical scales because large
6
accumulations of matter are electrically neutral; that is, they contain equal amounts of positive
and negative charge. As a result, the electric and magnetic forces between stars or planets are
very small or zero. The strong and weak interactions being discussed also act at a distance, but
their influence is negligible at distances much greater than the
diameter of an atomic nucleus (about 10-14 m).
Our solar system is part of a spiral galaxy (See figure at
the right), which contains roughly 1011 stars as well as gas, dust,
and other matter. The entire assemblage is held together by the
mutual gravitational attraction of all the matter in the galaxy.
What’s More
Answer as required.
1. Compare the gravitational attraction between objects on earth and interaction of
celestial bodies in space. Which gravitational force is almost negligible? Why?
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7
Lesson GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL
3 ENERGY
What’s In
When gravitational potential energy was first introduced in your previous lessons, it is
assumed that the gravitational force on a body is constant in magnitude and direction. This led
to the expression 𝑈 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ. But the earth’s gravitational force on a body of mass 𝑚 at any point
𝐺𝑚𝐸 𝑚
outside the earth is given more generally by 𝐹𝑔 = where 𝑚𝐸 is the mass of the earth
𝑟2
What Is It
The more work to perform and energy stored in the block, the higher the block is from
the ground.
8
Gravitational Potential Energy, Egrav is the energy stored of an object because of its
distance above the surface of the Earth. The change in gravitational potential energy of an
object is expressed as:
𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔∆ℎ
where:
𝑚 – is the mass of the object in kilograms
𝑔 – is the acceleration due to gravity at 9.8 m/s2
∆ℎ – is the vertical displacement of the object in meters
∆𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 – is the object’s change in gravitational potential energy in Joules
Sample Problems:
1. How much gravitational potential energy does a 4.0 kg block has if it is lifted 25 m?
𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔∆ℎ
= (4.0 kg) (9.80 N/kg) (25 m)
= 9.8 x 102 J
2. A 61.2 kg boy fell 0.500 m out of the bed. How much potential energy is lost?
𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔∆ℎ
= (61.2 kg) (9.80 N/kg) (-0.500 m)
= -299.8 J ≈ 300 J
What’s More
PROBLEM SOLVING. Answer as required.
1. How much potential energy does a car gain if a crane lifts the car with a mass of
1,500 kg and 20 m straight up?
2. A basketball of mass 0.0400 kg is dropped from a height of 5.00 m to the ground and
bounces back to a height of 3.00 m.
a. On its way down, how much potential energy does the ball lose?
b. On its way back, how much potential energy does the ball regain?
9
Lesson
ORBITS
4
What’s In
Artificial satellites orbiting the earth are familiar part of modern technology. But how do
they stay in orbit, and what determines the properties of their orbits? You can use Newton’s
laws and the law of gravitation to provide the answers. You’ll see in the next section that the
motion of planets can be analyzed in the same way.
What Is It
10
The radius r of the orbit is measured from the center of the earth; the acceleration of the
𝑣2
satellite has magnitude 𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = and is always directed toward the center of the circle. By the
𝑟
law of gravitation, the net force (gravitational force) on the satellite of mass m has magnitude
𝐺𝑚𝐸 𝑚
𝐹𝑔 = and is in the same direction as the acceleration. Newton’s second law (𝐹⃑ = 𝑚𝑎⃑)
𝑟2
𝐺𝑚𝐸 𝑚 𝑣2
= 𝑚( )
𝑟2 𝑟
Solving this to find the circular orbit, you’ll find the orbital velocity of a satellite by the equation
𝐺𝑚𝐸
𝑣=√ .
𝑟
This relationship shows that the orbit’s radius r and speed cannot stand independently; for a
given radius r, the speed for a circular orbit is determined.
The satellite’s mass m doesn’t appear in the equation above, which shows that the
motion of a satellite does not depend on its mass. If only a satellite could be cut into half without
changing its speed, each half would continue moving with its original motion. For example, an
astronaut on board a space shuttle is herself a satellite of the earth, held by the earth’s
gravitational attraction in the same orbit as the shuttle. The astronaut has the same velocity and
acceleration as the shuttle, so nothing is pushing her against the floor or walls of the shuttle.
She is in a state of apparent weightlessness, as in a freely falling elevator.
True weightlessness would occur only if the astronaut were infinitely far from any other
masses, so that the gravitational force on her would be zero. Apparent weightlessness is not
just a feature of circular orbits; it occurs whenever gravity is the only force acting on a spacecraft.
Hence it occurs for orbits of any shape.
The relationship between the radius r of a circular orbit and the period T, for one
revolution can be derived from the equation of speed. Speed v is the distance traveled in one
revolution divided by the period T. In symbol,
Use the equation above to solve for the period T and substitute:
11
We have talked mostly about earth satellites, but we can apply the same analysis to
the circular motion of any body or under its gravitational attraction to a stationary body. Other
examples include the earth’s moon and the moons of other planets.
Sample Problem:
You wish to put a 1000-kg satellite into a circular orbit 300 km above the earth’s surface.
What speed, period, and radial acceleration will it have?
Solution:
The radius of the satellite’s orbit is r = 6380 km + 300 km = 6680 km = 6.68 x 106 m. The
orbital speed is
𝑣 2 (7720𝑚/𝑠 2 )
𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑 = = 6
= 8.92𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑟 (6.68𝑥10 𝑚)
What’s More
PROBLEM SOLVING. Answer as required.
NASA is expected to send a 2600-kg satellite 450 km above the earth’s surface.
a. What is its radius?
b. What speed will it have?
(Hint: Earth’s mass is 5.97 x 1024 kg)
c. What is its orbital period?
d. What is its radial acceleration?
12
Lesson KEPLER’S LAWS OF
5 PLANETARY MOTION
What’s In
The name planet comes from a Greek word meaning “wanderer,” and indeed the planets
continuously change their positions in the sky relative to the background of stars. One of the
great intellectual accomplishments of the 16th and 17th centuries was the threefold realization
that the earth is also a planet, that all planets orbit the sun, and that the apparent motions of the
planets as seen from the earth can be used to precisely determine their orbits.
The first and second of these ideas were published by Nicolaus Copernicus in Poland
in 1543. The nature of planetary orbits was deduced between 1601 and 1619 by the German
astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler. It was done using a voluminous set of precise
data on apparent planetary motions compiled by his mentor, Tycho Brahe- Danish astronomer.
13
What Is It
1. LAW OF ORBITS
The first law explains that all planets move in
elliptical orbits with the sun at one focus. It means
that planets move around the Sun in elliptical orbits
(See figure at the right). An ellipse is a shape that
resembles a flattened circle. By How much the
circle is flattened is expressed by its eccentricity.
The eccentricity is a number between 0 and 1. It is
zero for a perfect circle.
The eccentricity of an ellipse measures how flattened a circle is. For a perfect circle, a and
b are the same such that the eccentricity is zero. Earth’s orbit has an eccentricity of 0.0167,
so it is almost a perfect circle.
2. LAW OF AREAS
The second law describes a line that
connects a planet to the sun and sweeps out
equal areas in equal times. When a planet is near
the sun, it travels faster and sweeps through a
longer path in a given time (See figure at the left).
It follows from Kepler’s second law
that Earth moves the fastest when it is closest to
the Sun. This happens in early January, when Earth is about 147 million km (91 million miles)
from the Sun. When Earth is closest to the Sun, it travels with a speed of 30.3 kilometers (18.8
miles) per second.
3. LAW OF PERIODS
The third law is
mathematically expressed as the
square of the period of any planet
is proportional to the cube of the
semi-major axis of its orbit.
14
The knowledge of these laws, especially the second law (the law of areas), proved
crucial to Sir Isaac Newton in 1684–1685 when he formulated his famous law of
gravitation between Earth and the Moon and between the Sun and the planets, postulated by
him to have validity for all objects anywhere in the universe. Newton showed that the motion of
bodies subject to central gravitational force need not always follow the elliptical orbits specified
by the first law of Kepler but can take paths defined by other, open conic curves; the motion can
be in parabolic or hyperbolic orbits, depending on the total energy of the body. Thus, an object
of sufficient energy—e.g., a comet—can enter the solar system and leave again without
returning. From Kepler’s second law, it may be observed further that the angular momentum of
any planet about an axis through the Sun and perpendicular to the orbital plane is also
unchanging.
What’s More
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Identify the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.
1. “All planets move in elliptical orbits where the sun s at one focus.” This statement
refers to Kepler’s __________ law of Planetary Motion.
A. First B. Second C. Third D. None
2. From Kepler’s Third Law, the period (P) squared divided by the cube of semi-major
axis (d) is the same for all planets and is expressed as P2 / d3 = k, where k is a
constant. One can conclude that:
A. In the same amount of time, every planet orbits the sun.
B. At the same distance from the sun, every planet orbits the sun.
C. It takes more time to orbit the sun if the planets are farthest from the sun.
D. It takes less time to orbit the sun if the planets are farthest from the sun.
15
Assessment: (Post-Test)
Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given
choices.
10. He was a Danish astronomer who worked with Kepler. His data collected were used by
Kepler in his laws.
A. Tycho Brahe C. Archimedes
B. Aristotle D. None of them
16
17
What I Know (Pre-Test)
1. B 3. C 5. A 7. C 9. C
2. A 4. C 6. D 8. B 10. C
Lesson 1 - What’s More
1. 107 N
2. 25 kg
Lesson 2 - What’s More (Essay) Numbers 1 and 2. (answers may vary)
Lesson 3 - What’s More
1 2.94 x 105 J
2a. - 1.176 J
2b. (+) 1.176 J
Lesson 4
1a. radius = 6.83 x 106 m
1b. speed = 1.995 x 107 m/s
1c. T = 2.15 s
1d. arad = 5.83 x 107 m/s2
Lesson 5
What’s More
1. A
2. C
Assessment (Post-Test)
1. B 3. B 5. C 7. D 9. C
2. D 4. A 6. A 8. B 10. A
Key to Answers
References
Santisteban, Celeste Joan C., Baguio, Saranay M. Breaking Through Physics. EDSA, South
Triangle, Quezon City: C&E Publishing. 2007
Santos, Gil Nonato C., General Physics 1. 1st ed. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, 2017.
Young, Hugh D., Roger A. Freedman, A. Lewis Ford, and Hugh D. Young. Sears and
Zemansky's University Physics. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions,
2012.
FAIR USE AND CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This SLM (Self Learning Module) is for
educational purposes only. Borrowed materials (i.e. songs, stories, poems, pictures,
photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in these modules are owned by their
respective copyright holders. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.
18