6.1+Gravitational+forces+and+fields

Back to HOME > IB PHYSICS > FIELDS AND FORCES =6.1 Gravitational forces and fields in IB PHYSICS= 6.1.1 State Newton’s universal law of gravitation. (Students should be aware that the masses in the force law are point masses. The force between two spherical masses whose separation is large compared to their radii is the same as if the two spheres were point masses with their masses concentrated at the centres of the spheres.)

NEWTON’S LAW OF UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION: The gravitational force between any two point objects is always attractive; proportional to each mass and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart. [|NEWTON'S LAW OF GRAVITY EXPLAINED] - short audio slideshow from The Guardian newspaper

UNIVERSAL GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT: The constant of proportionality in the Universal Law of Gravitation. G = 6.7 x 10 –11 Nm 2 kg –2



Experiment to calculate the Law is Cavendish's Experiment



6.1.2 Define gravitational field strength. GRAVITATIONAL FIELD STRENGTH: The force per unit mass on a small test mass placed in the field 6.1.3 Determine the gravitational field due to one or more point masses.

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6.1.4 Derive an expression for gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet, assuming that all its mass is concentrated at its centre. g = F/m and F = GMm/r 2 so, g = GM/r 2

6.1.5 Solve problems involving gravitational forces and fields. [|VARIATION IN EARTH'S GRAVITATIONAL FIELD] - article on BBC website