12 Questions
What did Isaac Newton realize about the force acting on the planets and the moon?
The same gravitational force is responsible for the motion of all these objects
What causes an object to change its speed or direction of motion?
Gravitational force
What made Newton start thinking about the force of gravity?
The fall of an apple near him
What did activity 9.1 involving a stone on a thread demonstrate about motion?
The stone follows a circular path due to a centripetal force
What factor does the force between two objects depend on, according to the universal law of gravitation?
The product of their masses
How is the constant of proportionality in the universal law of gravitation defined?
G = Force / (Mass × Distance)
How did Henry Cavendish determine the value of the universal gravitation constant, G?
By using a sensitive balance
What is the SI unit of the universal gravitation constant, G?
N m^2/kg^2
What does the law of gravitation state about the force of attraction between two objects?
It is directly proportional to the product of their masses
Why does a heavy object not fall faster than a light object, even though gravitational force acts on all objects in proportion to their masses?
Because the acceleration due to gravity is higher for lighter objects
What is the magnitude of the gravitational force between the earth and a 1 kg object on its surface?
$6.64 \times 10^{−11}$ N
What happens to the force of gravitation between two objects when the distance between them is reduced to half?
It becomes four times the original force
Test your knowledge of the law of gravitation and its universal application to objects in the universe. Understand how the force of gravity varies with mass, distance, altitude, and location on Earth.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
