Chapter 10: Universal Gravitation

Universal Gravitation in Vector Form

gravitational field

A \_________ is an intermediary between the source masses causing the gravitational forces in a particular region and the gravitational forces themselves

Definition of a gravitational field

ellipses

The trajectories of all the planets are \________, with the sun at one focal point.

radial vector

The \_______ from the sun to a given planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

For circular planetary motion, the centripetal force is provided by the gravitational force

The following relationship among the velocity, radius, and period of a circular orbit is often useful.

The equation used to calculate gravitational potential energy for spherical mass distributions is

When the only force acting on a planet is the gravitational force, the angular momentum is conserved