Force Of Gravity

 

Do your work on your own sheets of paper.

 

Notes:             1 t = 1 tonne = 1000 kg                      mass of Earth = 5.98 x 1024 kg

                        g = 9.80 N/kg                                      radius of Earth = 6.38 x 106 m

                        G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2

 

1. What is the force of gravity at the Earth 's surface on each of the following masses?

            (a) 75.0 kg 735 N        (b) 454 g 4.45 N          (c) 2.00 t 19 600 N     (d) 3.14 kg 30.8 N

 

2. What is the force of gravity on each of the following masses?

            (a) 25 g 0.25 N            (b) 102 kg 1.00 x 103 N          (c) 12 mg 1. 2 x 10-4 N      (d) 0.382 kg 3.74 N

 

3. Use these forces of gravity to determine the masses of the objects on which they act.

(a) 0.98 N 0.10 kg      (b) 100 N 10.2 kg       (c) 62 N 6.3 kg           (d) 44.5 MN 4.54 x 106 kg

 

4. Calculate the gravitational field strength at the surface of each of the following planets:

 

Planet

Mass on planetÕs Surface (kg)

Force of gravity on this mass (N)

g (N/kg)

Mercury

57

201

3.5

Venus

29

247

8.5

Earth

83

813

9.8

Mars

453

1688

3.72

Pluto

82

656

8.0

 

5.   Why is the gravitational field strength half way up Mount Everest the same as at sea level where g= 9.80 N/kg? The distance from the center of the earth to that point is not very much different than the distance to the center of earth alone (radius of the earth is 6.38 x 106 m while Everest itself is 8850 m É now add half of this height to the radius of the Earth, you get 6.38 x 106 m rounded to three sig. figs.). Since the height does not add much to the radius value in NewtonÕs Law of Universal Gravitation, the value of g does not change significantly. At the top of Everest, along with more precision in the values used, the value of the gravitational field strength is 9.77 N/kg. Another interesting note is that since the Earth is not exactly spherical (its radius is larger through the equatorial plane compared to between the poles), the g value at the equator is less than that at the poles (not much different but measurable).

 

6.   Why is the gravitational field strength at the South Pole less than the field strength at the North Pole? Yes, since the Antarctic is actually a continent not just a large sheet of ice and the South Pole has an elevation of 3700 m É the North Pole is at sea level (just ice flows up there!!). Since the South Pole is farther from the center of the Earth it must have a lower gravitational field strength.

 

7.   The force of gravity on an astronaut is 600 N at the EarthÕs surface. (her mass must be 61.2 kg) What is the force of gravity on her at each of the following distances from the centre of the Earth, measured in multiples of the Earth's radius?

            (a) 2     150 N  (b) 5    24 N    (c) 10   6 N      (d) 20  1.5 N

 

8.   The force of gravity on a spacecraft some distance from the Earth is 800 N. What would that force be if its distance to the Earth's centre were:

      (a) one-half as great? 4 times greater, 3200 N (b) one-third as great? 9 times greater, 7200 N                     (c) one-tenth as great?100 times greater, 8000 N (d) one-quarter as great?16 times greater, 12800 N

 

9.   A 20. kg object out in space is attracted to the Earth by a force of gravity of 100 N. How fast will the object accelerate towards the Earth, if it is falling freely? 5.0 m/s2

 

10.  Two of the largest oil tankers in the world, the Batilus and the Bellaya, have masses of 492 000 tonne fully loaded. If they were moored side-by-side, l.0 m apart, their centres would be 64 m apart. Calculate the force of gravity between them. 3940 N

 

11.  Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It has a radius of 2.5 x 109 m and a mass of 5.0 x 1031 kg. What is the gravitational force on a 1.0 kg mass at its surface? 534 N

 

12.  Sirius B is a white dwarf star, in orbit around Sirius, with a mass of 2.0 x 1030 kg (approximately the mass of the sun), and a radius of 2.4 x l07 m (approximately one-thirtieth of the radius of the sun).  (a) What is the force acting on a l.0 kg mass on the surface of Sirius B? 2.3 x 105 N (b) What is the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Sirius B? 2.3 x 105 m/s2

 

13.  A l000 kg communications satellite in synchronous orbit 42 400 km from the Earth's centre has a period of 24 h. Placed in orbit above the equator, and moving in the same direction as the Earth is turning, it stays above the same point on the Earth at all times. This makes it useful for the reception and retransmission of telephone, radio, and TV signals. (a) Calculate the force of gravity acting on the satellite. 222 N (b) What is the gravitational field strength at this altitude? 0.222 N/kg