PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 6:
Gravitation
(2 Hours)

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Learning Outcome:
6.1 Gravitational Force and Field Strength(1 hour)
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 State and use the Newton’s law of gravitation,
m1m2
Fg  G 2
r
 Define gravitational field strength as gravitational force per unit mass
F
ag 
m
 Derive and use gravitational field strength,
M
ag  G 2
r

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

6.1 Gravitational Force and Field Strength

6.1.1 Gravitational Force
 States that two bodies ……………….. each other with a force that is directly
………………....... to the product of their masses and inversely proportional
to the square of the ………………… between their centers.
OR mathematically,
1
Fg  m1m 2 and Fg  2
r
m1m2 m1m2
Fg  2 Fg  G 2
r r
where
Fg : Gravitational force
m1 , m2 : masses of particle 1 and 2
r : distance between particle1 and 2
G : Universal gravitational Constant  6.67 x10 11 N m 2 kg 2
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The statement can also be shown by using the Figure 6.1.

m1 m2
 
F21 F12
r
Figure 6.1

  m1m2
F21  F12  Fg  G 2
r
where

F21 : Gravitational force by particle 2 on particle 1
F12 : Gravitational force by particle1 on particle 2
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.1 :
A spaceship of mass 9000 kg travels from the Earth to the Moon along
a line that passes through the Earth’s centre and the Moon’s centre.
The average distance separating Earth and the Moon is 384,000 km.
Determine the distance of the spaceship from the Earth at which the
gravitational force due to the Earth twice the magnitude of the
gravitational force due to the Moon.
(Given the mass of the Earth, mE=6.001024 kg, the mass of the

Moon, mM=7.351022 kg and the universal gravitational constant,

G=6.671011 N m2 kg2)

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : m E  6.00  10 24 kg; m M  7.35  10 22 kg;
m s  900 0 kg; rEM  3.84  10 8 m
mE  m  mM
FEs s FMs
x rEM  x
rEM
Given FEs  2 FMs

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : m E  6.00  10 24 kg; m M  7.35  10 22 kg;
m s  900 0 kg; rEM  3.84  10 8 m
mE  m  mM
FEs s FMs
x rEM  x
rEM
Given FEs  2 FMs
GmE ms GmM ms
2
x 2
rEM  x 
2

x2 mE

rEM  x  2mM
2

x2 6.00  10 24

 8
3.84  10  x
2
 2 
 7.35  10 22

x  3.32  10 8 m 7
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Calculate the force of gravity that exists between a 60kg
person and an 80kg person who are 50cm apart from each
other.

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.2 : C
50 g

6 cm

3.2 kg 2.5 kg
8 cm
A B
Figure 6.3
Two spheres of masses 3.2 kg and 2.5 kg respectively are fixed at points A
and B as shown in Figure 6.3. If a 50 g sphere is placed at point C,
determine the resultant force acting on B.
(Given G = 6.671011 N m2 kg2)

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : m A  3.2 kg; m B  2 .5 kg; m C  50  10 3 kg
rBC  6  10 2 m; rAC  10  10 2 m
a. C
 θ
FA sin θ  0.6
2
 cos θ  0.8
10  10 m FB 2
6  10 m
θ
8  10 - 2 m
A B
The magnitude of the forces on mC,

FA 
GmA mC

6.67  10 3.2 50  10 
11 3

rAC
2
10  10 
2 2

FA  1.07  10 9 N

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : m A  3.2 kg; m B  2 .5 kg; m C  50  10 3 kg
rBC  6  10 2 m; rAC  10  10 2 m

FB 
GmB mC

6.67  10 2.5 50  10 
11 3

rBC
2
6  10  2 2

FB  2 .32  10 9 N
Force x-component (N) y-component (N)
 FA cos θ  FA sin θ

FA 
  1.07  10 0.8 9
  
  1.07  10 9 0.6 
 8.56  10 10  6.42  10 10
  FB
FB 0
 2.32  10 9

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution :

 Fx  8.56  10 10 N

F y  6.42  10 10  2.32  10 9   2 .96  10 9 N

The magnitude of the nett force is

 F   F    F 
2 2
x y

  8.56  10    2.96  10 
10 2 9 2

 F  3.08 10 N 9

and its direction is y

1   y 
 F  1   2 .96  10 9
 x
θ  tan  tan  
F  
  8.56  10 
10 73.9 
 x 
θ  73.9

F 17
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution :
b. By using the Newton’s second law of motion, thus
F  m a C

3.08  10  50  10 a
9 3

3.08  10 9
a
50  10 3
a  6 .16  10  8 m s  2
and the direction of the acceleration in the same direction of the
nett force on the mC i.e y
x
73.9 

a
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution :
m A  3.2 kg; m B  2 .5 kg; m C  50  10 3 kg
rBC  6  10 2 m; rAC  10  10 2 m

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Exercise 6.1 :
Given G = 6.671011 N m2 kg2
1. Four identical masses of 800 kg each are placed at the corners of a square
whose side length is 10.0 cm. Determine the nett gravitational force on one
of the masses, due to the other three.
ANS. : 8.2103 N; 45
2. Three 5.0 kg spheres are located in the xy plane as shown in Figure
7.4.Calculate the magnitude
of the nett gravitational force
on the sphere at the origin due to
the other two spheres.
ANS. : 2.1108 N

Figure 7.4
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
6.1.2 Gravitational Field

 is defined as a …………………………… surrounding a body that has

the property of mass where the …………………….is experienced if a test
mass placed in the region.
 Field lines are used to show gravitational field around an object with mass.
 For spherical objects (such as the Earth) the field is radial as shown in
Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The gravitational field in small region near the Earth’s surface are ……………..and
……………..
can be drawn ……………………..to each other as shown in Figure 6.7.

Figure 6.7
 The field lines indicate two things:
 The arrows – the ………………. of the field

 The spacing – the ………………. of the field

Note:
The gravitational field is a conservative field in which the work done in
moving a body from one point to another is independent of the path
taken.
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

Gravitational field strength, ag
 is defined as the ……………………per ………………of a body (test
mass) placed at a point.
OR 
 Fg
ag 
m
Fg : Gravitational force
where
ag : Gravitational field strength
m : mass of a body (test mass)
 It is also known as gravitational acceleration (the free-fall
acceleration).
acceleration)
 The S.I. unit of the gravitational field strength is ……………..or
……………..
…………...

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7

6.1.3 Gravitational Acceleration

 Its direction is in the ……………………..of
…………………….. the gravitational force.
force

GM
ag 
r2
where
M : mass of the point mass
r : distance between test mass and point mass

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 Figure 6.8 shows the direction of the gravitational field strength on a point S
at distance r from the centre of the planet.

GM
ag  2
r
M S

Figure 6.8 r

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The gravitational field in the small region near the Earth’s surface( r
R) are uniform where its strength is 9.81 m s2 and its direction can be
shown by using the Figure 6.9.
GM
ag  g  2
R

Figure 6.9
where R : radius of the Earth
g : gravitational acceleration  9.81 m s 2
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.4 :
The gravitational field strength on the Earth’s surface is 9.81 N kg1.
Calculate
a. the gravitational field strength at a point C at distance 1.5R from
the Earth’s surface where R is the radius of the Earth.
b. the weight of a rock of mass 2.5 kg at point C.
Solution : g  9 .81 N kg 1
a. The gravitational field strength on the Earth’s surface is

The distance of point C from the Earth’s centre is

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution :
a. Thus the gravitational field strength at point C is given by
GM GM
ag  ag 
rC
2
2.5R 2

b. Given m  2 .5 kg W  ma g
The weight of the rock is

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.5 :
5 km

B
A Figure 6.10

Figure 6.10 shows an object A at a distance of 5 km from the object B. The

mass A is four times of the mass B. Determine the location of a point on the line
joining both objects from B at which the nett gravitational field strength is zero.

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : r  5  10 3 m; M A  4 M B
A  
a g1 C a g 2 B

rx x
r
At point C, a 
g nett 0
a g1  a g 2

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Learning Outcome:
6.2 Gravitational potential (1 hour)
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 Define gravitational potential in a gravitational field.

 Derive and use the formulae,

GM
V 
r

 Sketch the variation of gravitational potential, V with distance, r

from the centre of the earth.

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
7.2 Gravitational potential
7.2.1 Work done by the external force

 Consider an external force, F F
is required to bring a test m dr

mass, m from r1 to r2 , Fg
as shown in Figure 7.15. r1 r
2
 At the distance r2 from the
centre of the Earth,
F  Fg
 The work done by the M
external force through
the small displacement
dr is dW  Fdr cos 0 
dW  Fg dr Figure 7.15
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 Therefore the work done by the external force to bring test
mass, m from r1 to r2 is
r2 GMm
 dW   Fg dr and Fg  2
r1 r
r2 GMm
W  2
dr
r1 r
r2 1
W  GMm  2 dr
r1 r
r
 1
2

W  GMm   
 r r 1
where
 1 1  r : initial distance
Wr1  r2  GMm   1
r r
 1 2 r2 : final distance
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
6.2.1 Gravitational potential, V

 at a point is defined as the work done by a gravitational force in bringing

a test mass from infinity to a point per unit the test mass.

OR
mathematically, V is written as:
where
W m : mass of the test mass
V
m V : gravitatio nal potential at a point
W : work done in bringing a test mass
from infinity t o a point
1 1
W  GMm  
 r1 r2  34
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 Another formula for the gravitational potential at a point is given
by
W 1 1
V  and W  GMm  
m  r1 r2 
GMm  1 1 
V    where r1   and r2  r
m  r1 r2 
GMm  1 1 
V   
m  r
GM where
V  r : distance between the point
r and the point mass, M

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The S.I unit for gravitational potential is
 m 2 s  2 OR J kg  1
 Another formula for the gravitational potential at a point is given by

GM
V 
r
where r : distance between the point
and the point mass, M

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The gravitational potential difference between point A and B (VAB) in
the Earth’s gravitational field is defined as the work done in bringing a
test mass from point B to point A per unit the test mass.

OR
mathematically, VAB is written as:

WBA
VAB   VA -VB
m
where WBA : work done in bringing the test mass
from point B to point A.
VA : gravitational potential at point A
VB : gravitational potential at point B 37
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 Figure 6.15 shows two points A and B at a distance rA and rB from the
centre of the Earth respectively in the Earth’s gravitational field.

 The gravitational potential

A
difference between the points
A and B is given by
rA B
rB V AB  V A  V B
M  GM   GM 
VAB        
 rA   rB 
1 1
Figure 6.15 VAB  GM   
 rB rA 
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.6 :
When in orbit, a satellite attracts the Earth with a force of 19 kN and the
satellite’s gravitational potential due to the Earth is 5.45107 J kg1.
a. Calculate the satellite’s distance from the Earth’s surface.
b. Determine the satellite’s mass.
(Given G = 6.671011 N m2 kg2, mass of the Earth,
M = 5.981024 kg and radius of the Earth , R = 6.38106 m)
Solution :
Fg  19  10 3 N; V   5.45  10 7 J kg 1

Fg h
r
R

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : Fg  19  10 3 N; V   5.45  10 7 J kg 1
a. By using the formulae of gravitational potential, thus:
GM
V 
r

Therefore the satellite’s distance from the Earth’s surface is:

rhR

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : Fg  19  10 3 N; V  5.45  10 7 J kg 1

b. From the Newton’s law of gravitation, hence:

GMm
Fg  2
r

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : Fg  19  10 3 N; V   5.45  10 7 J kg 1
a. By using the formulae of gravitational potential, thus
GM
V 
r

 5.45  10 7 
6.67  10 5.98  10 
11 24

r
r  7 .32  10 6 m
Therefore the satellite’s distance from the Earth’s surface is
rhR
7 .32  10 6  h  6 .38  10 6
h  9 .4  10 5 m

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : F  19  10 3 N; V   5.45  10 7 J kg 1
g
b. From the Newton’s law of gravitation, hence
GMm
Fg  2
r

19  10 3 
6.67  10 5.98  10 m
11 24

7.32  10 
6 2

m  2552 kg

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.7 :
The gravitational potential at the surface of a planet of radius R is 12.8 MJ
kg1. Determine the work done in overcoming the gravitational force when a
space probe of mass 1000 kg is lifted to a height of 2R from the surface of the
planet.
Solution : m  10 00 kg ; r1  R

R
r1 m
M h  2R
r2

On the surface of the planet, the gravitational potential is

GM 6 GM
V   12 .8  10  
r1 R
GM
 12 .8  10 6
R 44
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Solution : m  10 00 kg ; r1  R
The final distance of the space probe from the centre of the Earth
is r2  R  h  3 R
The work done required is given by
1 1
W  GMm  
 r1 r2 
1 1 
 GMm  
 R 3R 
2m  GM 
  
3  R 
21000 

3

12 .8  10 6 
W  8 .53  10 9 J 45
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Example 6.8 :
The Moon has a mass of 7.351022 kg and a radius of 1740 km.
a. Determine the gravitational potential at its surface.
b. A probe of mass 100 kg is dropped from a height 1 km onto the
Moon’s surface. Calculate its change in gravitational potential
energy.

(Given G = 6.671011 N m2 kg2)

Solution :
a. The gravitational potential on the moon’s surface is
22 6
M  7 .35  10 kg ; R  1 .74  10 m
GM
V  
R

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
22
Solution : M  7 .35  10 kg ; R  1 .74  10 6 m
6
b. Given m  100 kg; r2  R  1.74  10 m
R
r2 m
3
M h  1.00  10 m
r1
r1  R  h 
Hence the change in the gravitational potential energy is

ΔU  U f  U i
 GMm   GMm  1 1
ΔU          GMm  
 r2   r1   r1 r2 

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Learning Outcome:

6.3 Satellite motion in a circular orbit (½ hour)

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 Explain satellite motion with:
 velocity,
GM
v
r
 period,
r3
T  2
GM

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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
6.3 Satellite motion in a circular orbit
6.3.1 Tangential (linear/orbital) velocity, v
 Consider a satellite of mass, m travelling around the Earth of mass, M,
radius, R, in a circular orbit of radius, r with …………………………….speed,
v as shown in Figure 6.22.

Figure 6.22
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 The centripetal force, Fc is contributed by the gravitational force of
attraction, Fg exerted on the satellite by the Earth.
Fg  Fc  mac
2
GMm mv
2

r r
Hence the tangential velocity, v is given by

GM
v
r
where r : distance of the satellite from
the centre of the Earth
M : mass of the Earth
G : universal gravitatio nal constant 50
PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
 For a satellite close to the Earth’s surface,
surface
rR and GM  gR 2

Therefore v  gR

 The relationship between tangential velocity and angular velocity is

2r
v  r 
T
Hence , the period, T of the satellite orbits around the Earth is given by

2r GM r3
 T  2
T r GM
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PHYSICS CHAPTER 7
Exercise 6.2 :
Given G = 6.671011 N m2 kg2
1. A rocket is launched vertically from the surface of the Earth at speed 25
km s-1. Determine its speed when it escapes from the gravitational field of
the Earth.
(Given g on the Earth = 9.81 m s2, radius of the Earth ,
R = 6.38  106 m)
ANS. : 2.24104 m s1
2. A satellite revolves round the Earth in a circular orbit whose radius is five
times that of the radius of the Earth. The gravitational field strength at the
surface of the Earth is 9.81 N kg1. Determine
a. the tangential speed of the satellite in the orbit,
b. the angular frequency of the satellite.
(Given radius of the Earth , R = 6.38  106 m)
ANS. : 3538 m s1 ; 1.11104 rad s1
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