Gravity

what is gravity?

Gravity is the force that attracts two bodies towards each other, primarily determined by their masses and the distance between them.

why do some objects free fall easier than others?

Some objects free fall easier than others due to differences in air resistance, mass, and shape, impacting their acceleration under gravity.

What is the force of gravity?

the force of gravity is universal, any object of mass (m) is a source of gravity, it acts between any 2 objects with mass, distance r between objects affect the gravity

what is newton’s law of universal gravitation?

every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a gravitational force, gravity decreases with distance (inverse square), and gravity increases the mass (more massive the object stronger the gravity)

what is the inverse square?

The inverse square law states that the intensity of a physical quantity, such as gravity or light, decreases proportionally to the square of the distance from the source. This means that if the distance doubles, the intensity becomes one fourth.

how to calculate gravity

To calculate gravity, use the formula Fg = (m₁m₂/r²), where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m₁ and m₂ are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between their centers.

why does each planet have different gravity?

Each planet has different gravity due to variations in mass and size. The greater the mass of a planet, the stronger its gravitational pull, while its size also influences the force experienced on its surface.

what is neglect air resistance?

Neglecting air resistance means ignoring the effects of friction from air when analyzing the motion of an object. This simplification allows for easier calculations of trajectories, particularly in a vacuum.

what is a vacuum?

A vacuum is a space devoid of matter, including air, where pressure is significantly lower than atmospheric pressure. In such conditions, objects experience free fall without air resistance.

what is the effect of mass & distance on gravity?

The effect of mass and distance on gravity is governed by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force between two objects increases with greater mass and decreases with increased distance between them.

what is the gravity of planets with diff mass & radius?

The gravity of planets with different mass and radius varies according to the equation for gravitational force, where a planet's mass increases the gravitational pull, while a greater radius decreases it, affecting the weight of objects on their surfaces.

what is a circular orbit?

the result of choosing a tangential velocity such that the earth’s surface curves away at the same rate as the object falls towards earth, you need a force to keep pulling the object towards the center to stay in circular motion, if force is removed, the object will move away in a straight line, if the string breaks, the object will continue straight since the velocity vector is always tangent

what is uniform circular motion?

it happens when an object moves in a circular path with a constant speed, a force is needed to keep pulling the object towards the centre while going in circular motion, if that force disappears, the object will fly off straight

what is weight?

Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object, calculated as the product of the object's mass and the acceleration due to gravity at its location → normal force = N