18 Questions
According to the principle of superposition and the law of vector addition, the resultant gravitational force on (2m) is?
2Gm^2 in the positive j direction
Why do we need to add up gravitational forces vectorially for all point masses in an extended object?
Because the forces are not all in the same direction
In what scenario does a hollow spherical shell with uniform density exhibit a gravitational force as if its entire mass is concentrated at the center?
When the point mass is outside the shell
What component of gravitational forces from a hollow spherical shell have components along the line joining a point mass to the centre?
Both parallel and perpendicular components
In the calculation of gravitational forces between an extended object and a point mass, what method is used?
Calculus
What is the result of adding up all the gravitational forces from point masses in an extended object?
Total gravitational force
What can we understand qualitatively about the force of attraction due to a hollow spherical shell of uniform density on a point mass situated inside it?
The force of attraction is zero due to forces from different regions of the shell cancelling each other.
Who first experimentally determined the value of the gravitational constant G?
Henry Cavendish
What kind of force exists between two spherical balls according to the text?
The gravitational force between the spherical balls is the same as if their masses are concentrated at their centres.
What did Henry Cavendish use to experimentally determine the value of G?
An apparatus with small spheres and a torsion balance
What happens to a suspended wire in Cavendish's experiment as a result of the torque applied by two neighbouring small spheres?
It gets twisted until restoring torque equals gravitational torque
How did Cavendish measure the restoring torque in his experimental setup?
By applying a known torque and measuring the angle of twist
According to Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, the force between two bodies is directly proportional to ___________ and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The product of their masses
In Newton's gravitational law, what does the variable 'r' represent?
The distance between the bodies
When applying Newton's third law to gravitational forces, what is the relationship between the force on body 1 due to body 2 and the force on body 2 due to body 1?
Equal in magnitude but opposite in direction
How does the gravitational force vary with distance according to the assumption made at the beginning of the text?
Inversely proportional to the square of distance
When dealing with extended objects, why is it important to consider that Newton's law refers to point masses?
Because extended objects have finite size
What led Newton to propose his Universal Law of Gravitation?
Observations about acceleration due to gravity
Test your knowledge of Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation which states that every body in the universe attracts every other body with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
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