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Questions and Answers
What is the centre of gravity?
What does the term 'inverse square law' mean in the context of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?
What does acceleration due to gravity (g) represent?
How does terminal velocity occur?
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How does the Sun primarily hold the solar system in place?
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In the context of gravity, what does 'unit = Newtons (N)' refer to?
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What is the relationship between acceleration due to gravity (g) and mass?
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What does the acceleration due to gravity (g) represent?
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What is true about acceleration due to gravity (g)?
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In the context of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, what does 'G' represent in the equation F = Gm1m2/d^2?
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Study Notes
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
- The force of attraction between two point masses is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
- F = Gm1m2 / d2, where F is the force of attraction, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses, and d is the distance between them.
- Unit of force is Newtons (N).
Centre of Gravity
- The centre of gravity is the point at which the whole weight of a body appears to act.
Inverse Square Law
- Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation is an example of an inverse square law, where F ∝ 1/d2.
- If the distance between m1 and m2 is doubled, the force of attraction is divided by 4.
Gravity in the Solar System
- The solar system is held in place by the massive pull of the Sun's gravitational field, which has a very large mass (99.8% of the mass of the solar system).
- The Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases held in place by the Earth's gravity.
- The Moon's gravity is too weak to sustain an atmosphere due to its small mass.
Acceleration due to Gravity
- Acceleration due to gravity (g) is the acceleration experienced by a body in free fall within the gravitational field of a massive body.
- g = GM / R2, where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the massive body, and R is the radius of the massive body.
- Unit of acceleration is ms^(-2).
Weight
- Weight (W) is a force equal to the product of mass and acceleration due to gravity.
- W = mg, where m is the mass of the object and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Terminal Velocity
- Terminal velocity is when the force causing an object to accelerate in free fall (its weight) is equal to the force of air resistance (friction) in the opposite direction, resulting in constant velocity.
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Description
Learn about Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that the force of attraction between two point masses is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Understand how the gravitational force is calculated and its relationship to distance and masses.
