GRAVITATION

Grade: 11 A, A1, B
Subject : Physics
INTRODUCTION
FAMAOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD OF GRAVITATION

GALILEO GALILEI NICOLUS COPERNICUS

(POLAND-1473-1543)
(ITALY -1564-1642)
FAMAOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD OF GRAVITATION

TYCHO BRAHE JOHANNES KEPLER

DENMARK (1546-1601) GERMANY(1571-1640)
FAMAOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD OF GRAVITATION

ISSAC NEWTON ALBERT EINSTEIN

ENGLAND (1642-1726) GERMANY(1879-1955)
 NEWTON’S UNIVERSAL LAW OF GRAVITATION

Every body in the universe attracts every other body with a force
which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The direction of force is along the line joining the centres of the two
bodies.

Let two bodies A and B of masses m1 and m2 are placed at a distance of ‘r’ from
each other. Let ‘F’ be the force of attraction between the bodies.
Then,
(i) the force of attraction is directly proportional the product of their masses

i.e. F α m1 x m2
(ii) the force of attraction is inversely proportional the square of the distance
between them 1
i.e. F α
r2
 m1 x m2
Fα
r2

m1 x m2
F=G
r2
where G is a constant called as “universal
gravitational constant”
G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2kg-2

In vector form,
Properties of gravitational force
1. Gravitational force is the weakest force in nature.
2. It is an attractive force. (Unlike electrostatic and magnetic
force; they are both attractive and repulsive)
3. It is a mutual force. (First body attracts the second body and
the second body attracts the first body with equal force)
4. It is a central force. (Acts along the line joining the centres of
the bodies)
5. It is mass and distance dependent.
6. It obeys inverse square law.
7. It is a long range force. (It decreases with distance as per
inverse square law and becomes zero only at infinite distance
– like electrostatic and magnetic force)
8. It does not depend on the medium between the interacting
bodies. (There is no gravitational shielding)
KEPLER’S LAWS OF PLANETARY MOTION
I LAW (Law of orbits):
Every planet moves around the sun in elliptical orbit with the sun at one of the
foci of the elliptical orbit.

Sun

F2
F1

Elliptical
PLANETS Orbit
IN ORDER
II LAW (Law of areas):
The line joining the planet to the sun sweeps over equal areas in equal
intervals of time.
C Elliptical Orbit

Sun B
Perigee S Apogee
F2
F1 A

Area of SAB = Area of SCD (For the given time)

II law tells us that a planet does not move with constant speed around the sun.
It speeds up while approaching the nearest point called ‘perigee’ and slows
down while approaching the farthest point called ‘apogee’. Therefore,
distance covered on the orbit with in the given interval of time at perigee is
greater than that at apogee such that areas swept are equal.
III LAW (Law of periods):
The square of the time period of revolution of a planet around the sun is
directly proportional to the cube of the mean distance of a planet from the
sun.

The law is mathematically expressed as

T2 α r3

T2
or = constant
r3

Though Kepler gave the laws of planetary motion, he could not give a theory to
explain the motion of planets.
Only Newton explained that the cause of the motion of the planets is the
gravitational force which the sun exerts on them.
Newton used Kepler’s III law to develop the law of universal gravitation.
CAVENDISH EXPERIMENT TO FIND GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT

m
R M
Acceleration due to gravity (g)
Acceleration due to gravity is defined as the uniform acceleration produced in
a freely falling body due to the gravitational force of the earth.
Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2 = 980 cm/s2.

Calculation of acceleration due to gravity (g)

Suppose a body of mass ‘m’ is placed on the earth of mass ‘M’ and radius ‘R’.
According to Newton’s universal law of gravitation,
Force exerted by the earth on the body is given by
m
Mxm R
F=G M
R 2

This force exerted by the earth produces an acceleration on the body.

Therefore, F = mg (g - acceleration due to gravity)

From the two equations, we have

Mxm GM
mg = G or g=
R 2
R2
2. Acceleration due to gravity decrease with depth.
m
h
GM G M’ R M
g= g’ =
R2 (R-h)2
M’
3. Acceleration due to gravity is greater at the poles
and less at the equator.

GM GM
gp = ge = m
Rp2 Re 2

Earth is slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the Rp

equator. The radius of the earth at the poles is 21 km less m
than that at the equator. Re
M
i.e. Rp < Re
Therefore, from the above equations, G and M being same
and g is inversely proportional to the square of the radius,
gp > ge

gp = 9.823 m/s2 , ge = 9.789 m/s2 and average value of g = 9.8 m/s2

VARIATION OF ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY
1.WITH ALTITUDE

We know that at the surface of the earth, 

At a height h above the surface of earth , acceleration due to gravity is,

 2. With Depth
    

We know that at the surface of the earth, 

 INTENSITY OF THE GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
Gravitational field intensity, at any point is defined as the gravitational
force experienced by a unit mass placed at that point.

Suppose, to find gravitational intensity at point ‘P’, ‘r’ distance away

from the centre O of mass ‘M’ place a test mass m at point P.
Thus, force acting on mass ‘m’,  M m
F F
O
Gravitational field intensity,  P
r
   

Intensity of gravitational field, I is a vector quantity. Its SI unit is Nkg -1 .

 GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY
Gravitational potential energy of an object is equal to the amount of work done in
bringing that object from infinity to that point.
PROOF:
Suppose an object of mass ‘m’ is kept at a height ‘h’ above the earth’s surface.
Let Re+ h = r _ (1)
If at any instant, the object is at a point A, ‘x’ distance away from the centre of the
earth, then the force acting on the object, F = GMm/x 2 _(2)
If the object is displaced through a short displacement ‘dx’, towards the earth’s
surface, the small amount of work done, 
dW = F dx ⇒dW = (GMm/x2)dx
∴Total amount of work done in transporting the object from infinity to point
B, ‘r’ distance away from the centre of the earth, 

This work done gets stored up in the form of gravitational potential energy.
U=
1.The negative sign indicates that the potential energy is due to the gravitational attraction
between the earth and the body.
2.As distance between the two increases, the gravitational potential energy also increases and
becomes 0, i.e., maximum.
 Gravitational Potential
Gravitational potential at any point inside the gravitational field region of the earth is equal
to the amount of work done in bringing an object of unit mass from infinity to that point.
PROOF:
Suppose an object of mass ‘m’ is kept at a height ‘h’ above the earth’s surface.
Let Re+ h = r _(1)
If at any instant, the object is at a point A, ‘x’ distance away from the centre of the earth,
then the force acting on the object, F = GMm/x2 _(2)
If the object is displaced through a short displacement ‘dx’, towards the earth’s surface, the
small amount of work done, 
dW = F dx
⇒ dW = (GMm/x2)dx
∴Total amount of work done in transporting the object from infinity to point B, ‘r’
distance away from the centre of the earth, 

∴The work done in bringing a unit mass, i.e., Gravitational potential, V = W/m
     ⇒V = -GM/r
Escape Velocity

It is that minimum velocity with which if an object is projected

vertically upwards so that it escapes the earth’s gravitational
pull of earth.
 Proof:

Suppose an object of mass ‘m’ is projected with velocity‘v e’from the surface
of the earth.
Therefore the kinetic energy imparted, KEimparted = ½(m ve2)
This kinetic energy will be utilised in moving the object from the surface of
the earth to infinity.
Suppose at any time, the object is at point A, ‘x’ distance away from the
centre of the earth.
∴The force acting on the object at point A, F = GMm/x2
The small amount of work done in shifting the object through a distance
‘dx’ away from the earth, dW = F dx
      ⇒dW = (GMm/x2)dx
∴Work done in transporting the object from the surface to the infinity,

Hence,

Hence, we get,     

On earth, g = 9.8 m/s2; R = 6.4 x 106m ∴ ve = 11.2 km/s

ORBITAL VELOCITY

It is the velocity required to put a satellite into its orbit around the earth.
 The force of gravity on the satellite is

The centripetal force required by the satellite to keep in its orbit is

Orbital velocity, Vo =

If g is the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of earth then

g=

or GM =gR2

Or, Vo =
= R

 
If a satellite is very close to earth’s surface, then
R+h≈R
∴ V=

As g = 9.8 ms-2 and R = 6.4x 106m, so vo =

=7.92 x103 ms-1 = 7.92 kms-1
 Relation between Orbital velocity and Escape velocity

The escape velocity of a body from the earth’s surface is

ve =

The orbital velocity of a satellite revolving close to the earth’s

surface is vo =

ve = vo
TIME PERIOD OF A SATELLITE
 GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES
As the name suggests, a satellite which revolves around the earth in its equatorial
plane with the same angular speed and the same direction as the earth rotates
about its own axis is called geostationary satellite or synchronous satellite.
POLAR SATELLITE
It is a kind of satellite that revolves in polar orbit of the earth. It has a
smaller orbital radius of about 500-800 km. It virtually scans the entire
surface of the earth.
THANK YOU