WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

General Physics I 12 Quarter 2 Week 2

Gravitation

Name: ___________________________________________ Section: ____________________

Learning Objectives:
• Use Newton’s law of gravitation to infer gravitational force, weight, and acceleration due to
gravity (STEM_GP12G-IIb-16)
• Discuss the physical significance of gravitational field (STEM_GP12RedIIb-18)
• Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in physics problems
(STEM_GP12RedIIb-19)
• Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion (STEM_GP12RedIIb-20)
• For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s third law of planetary motion to Newton’s law of
gravitation and centripetal acceleration (STEM_GP12G-IIc-22)

Specific Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
• determine the relationship between gravitational force, masses of the objects, and
the distance between the centers of the objects;
• solve for the gravitational forces between planets and the host star;
• explain how mass and distance affects gravitational force;
• discuss the physical significance of gravitational field;
• solve problems involving gravitational force, weight, acceleration due to gravity,
gravitational potential energy, orbits, and kepler’s laws; and
• compose a 5-sentence paragraph on the concepts that you have learned from these
activity sheets.

Key Concepts
• Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is
directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically expressed as,
𝑚 𝑚
Fg = G 1 2 2 (Eq. 1)
𝑟
where,
Fg is the force
𝑁𝑚 2
G is the gravitational constant (6.674×10−11 )
𝑘𝑔 2
m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects
r is the distance between the centers of the objects

• The gravitational force between two particles decreases with increasing distance (r).
• The weight of a body is the total gravitational force exerted on the body by all other bodies
in the universe.
𝑚 𝑚
w = Fg = G 𝑒 2 (magnitude) (Eq. 2)
𝑅𝑒
𝑚𝑒
• By Newton’s Second Law, w = mg. Equating this to Eq. 2, we have g = G
𝑟𝑒 2
• The gravitational field at a point is defined as the force per unit mass that would act on a
particle located at that point.
• If a test mass (m) is subject to a force (F) at some point, and force depends only on the
𝐹
particle’s mass and position, then the gravitational field at that point is defined as 𝑔 = .
𝑚

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
 • The gravitational potential energy depends on the distance (r) between the body of mass
(m) and the center of the earth. Mathematically, this is expressed
𝐺𝑚𝐸 𝑚
U=- (gravitational potential energy)
𝑟
• For objects near the earth the acceleration of gravity (g) can be considered to be
approximately constant and the expression for potential energy relative to the Earth's
surface becomes
U = mgΔh
• When the body moves away from the earth, r increases, the gravitational force does
negative work, and U increases (i.e., becomes less negative).
• When the body “falls” toward the earth, r decreases, the gravitational work is positive, and
the potential energy decreases (i.e., becomes more negative).
• When a satellite moves in a circular orbit, the centripetal acceleration is provided by the
attraction of the earth. The speed (v) and the period (T) of a satellite in a circular orbit with
radius (r) are:
2
𝐺𝑚𝐸 2𝜋𝑟 𝑟 2𝜋𝑟 ⁄3
v=√ T= = 2𝜋𝑟 √ =
𝑟 𝑣 𝐺𝑚𝐸 √𝐺𝑚𝐸

• Kepler's three laws of planetary motion can be described as follows:

o The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the
sun being located at one focus. (The Law of Ellipses)
o An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will
sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time. (The Law of Equal Areas)
o The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the
cubes of their average distances from the sun. (The Law of Harmonies)
• Kepler's laws and Newton's laws taken together imply that the force that holds the planets
in their orbits by continuously changing the planet's velocity so that it follows an elliptical
path is (1) directed toward the Sun from the planet, (2) is proportional to the product of
masses for the Sun and planet, and (3) is inversely proportional to the square of the
planet-Sun separation. This is precisely the form of the gravitational force, with the
universal gravitational constant G as the constant of proportionality.

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
Exercises / Activities
Activity No. 1: Gravity Force

What you need:

o Paper and pencil
o Scientific calculator
What to do:
1. Below is an imaginary solar system with planets of different masses and distances between
the center of the host star. (1 AU ≈ 93 million miles ≈ 149,600,000 km)

Planet F Planet H
m = 5.66 × 1026 kg m = 2.1 × 1022 kg
Planet D d = 9.55 AU d = 39.53 AU
m = 6.42 × 1023 kg
Planet B d = 2.3 AU
m = 4.9 × 1024 kg
d = 0.751 AU

Star
m = 1.989 × 1030 kg

Planet A
Planet C
m = 3.3 × 1023 kg m = 5.88 × 1024 kg
d = 0.39 AU d = 1.32 AU

Planet E
m = 1.97 × 1027 kg
d = 5.3 AU Planet G
m = 8.68 × 1025 kg
d = 19.18 AU

2. Calculate the gravitational force between the planets and the host star and rank them from
the planet with the greatest gravitational force to the planet with the least gravitational force.
Use the table below.

Rank Planet Gravitational Force

Q1. Does distance from the host star affect the gravitational force?
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Q2. Does the mass of the planets affect the gravitational force?
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Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
Q3. Is the relationship between gravitational force and distance of separation (between
host star and planet) an inverse or direct relationship? (Explain the evidence for your
conclusion.)
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Q4. If the separation distance between the planets and the host star is ...
a. ... increased by a factor of 2, then the Fgrav is (increased or decreased) by a factor of _______.
b. ... increased by a factor of 3, then the Fgrav is (increased or decreased) by a factor of _______.
c. ... increased by a factor of 4, then the Fgrav is (increased or decreased) by a factor of _______.

Q5. Why is Newton’s Law of gravitation universal?

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Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
 Activity No. 2: I Can Solve it!
(gravitational force, weight, and acceleration due to gravity)

What you need:

o Scientific calculator
o Paper and pencil

What to do:
I – Directions: Solve for what is/are asked in each problem. Show your solutions in a
separate sheet of paper.

1. A 2,150 kg satellite used in a cellular telephone network is in a circular orbit at a height

of 780 km above the surface of the earth.
a. What is the gravitational force on the satellite?
b. What fraction is this of its weight at the surface of the earth?

2. The sun has a mass 333,000 times that of the earth. For a person on earth, the average
distance to the center of the sun is 23,500 times the distance to the center of the earth.
In magnitude, what is the ratio of the sun’s gravitational force on you to the earth’s
gravitational force on you?

3. The mass of Venus is 81.5% that of the earth and its radius is 94.9% that of the earth.
a. Compute the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Venus from these data.
b. What is the weight of a 5.0 kg rock on the surface of Venus?

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
 Activity No. 3: I Can Explain It!
(gravitational field)

What you need:

o Paper and pencil

What to do:
1. Read the text below about the Gravitational Field.
Gravitation is the most important force on the scale of planets, stars, and galaxies. It
is responsible for holding our earth together and for keeping the planets in orbit about the
sun. The mutual gravitational
attraction between different parts
of the sun compresses material at
the sun’s core to very high
densities and temperatures,
making it possible for nuclear
reactions to take place there.
These reactions generate the
sun’s energy output, which
makes it possible for life to exist
on earth and for you to read these Retrieved from https://www.qsstudy.com/physics/gravitational-field-earth on October 30,2020
words.
The gravitational force is so important on the cosmic scale because it acts at a distance,
without any direct contact between bodies. Electric and magnetic forces have this same
remarkable property, but they are less important on astronomical scales because large
accumulations of matter are electrically neutral; that is, they contain equal amounts of positive
and negative charge. As a result, the electric and magnetic forces between stars or planets
are very small or zero. The strong and weak interactions that we discussed also act at a
distance, but their influence is negligible at distances much greater than the diameter of an
atomic nucleus (about 10-14 m).
Our solar system is part of a spiral galaxy like the figure below, which contains roughly
10 stars as well as gas, dust, and other matter. The entire assemblage is held together by
11

the mutual gravitational attraction of all the matter in the galaxy.

2. Answer as required.
Q1. Compare the gravitational attraction between objects on earth and interaction
of celestial bodies in space. Which gravitational force is almost negligible? Why?

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Q2. Discuss why the study of a gravitational field is important.

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Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
 Activity No. 4: I Can Solve it!
(gravitational potential energy, orbits, kepler’s laws)

What you need:

o Scientific calculator
o Paper and pencil

What to do:
I – Directions: Solve for what is/are asked in each problem. Use a separate sheet of paper
for your answers and solutions.

1. How much potential energy does a car gain if a crane lifts the car with a mass of 1,500
kg and 20 m straight up?

2. A basketball of mass 0.0400 kg is dropped from a height of 5.00 m to the ground and
bounces back to a height of 3.00 m.
a. On its way down, how much potential energy does the ball lose?
b. On its way back, how much potential energy does the ball regain?

3. You wish to put a 1000-kg satellite into a circular orbit 300 km above the earth’s surface.
What speed, period, and radial acceleration will it have?

4. NASA is expected to send a 2600-kg satellite 450 km above the earth’s surface. (Hint: Earth’s
mass is 5.97 x 1024 kg)
a. What is its radius?
b. What speed will it have?
c. What is its orbital period?
d. What is its radial acceleration

5. The mass of Earth is 5.97x1024 kg, the mass of the Moon is 7.35x1022 kg, and the mean
distance of the Moon from the center of Earth is 3.84x10 5 km. Use these data to calculate the
magnitude of the gravitational force exerted by Earth on the Moon.

6. The planet Mercury travels around the Sun with a mean orbital radius of 5.8x10 10 m. The
mass of the Sun is 1.99x1030 kg. Use Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law to determine how
long it takes Mercury to orbit the Sun. Give your answer in Earth days.

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
Reflection

Directions: On separate sheet of paper, write a 5-sentence paragraph on the concepts that you
have learned from these activity sheets and their applications to our daily lives. You
may also include misconceptions that you have clarified as you went through the
learning activity sheets.

Rubrics:
3 – Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, and has no
misconception.
2 – Practical application is scientifically explained consistent to the concepts, but with minimal
misconception.
1 – Practical application is explained consistent to the concepts, but with misconceptions.
0 – No discussion.

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]
References for learners:

“Gravitational Fields.” The Physics Classroom. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-

Interactives/Circular-and-Satellite-Motion/Gravitational-Fields/Gravitational-Fields-
Interactive. Accessed on October 30, 2020.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion.” Encyclopædia

Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., October 31, 2019.
https://www.britannica.com/science/Keplers-laws-of-planetary-motion.

University of Colorado Boulder. “Gravity Force Lab.” PhET Interactive Simulations.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/gravity-force-lab. Accessed on October 30, 2020.

Young, Hugh D., Roger A. Freedman, A. Lewis Ford, and Hugh D. Young. Sears and Zemansky's
University Physics. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2012.

Answer Key

Activity No. 1: Gravity Force Activity No. 2: I Can Solve It! Activity No. 4: I Can Solve it!
(gravitational force, weight, and acceleration due (gravitational potential energy, orbits, kepler’s
to gravity) law)
Rank Planet Gravitational Force
1 E 1.076 x 1024 1. a. 1.67 x 104 1. 2.94 x 105
2 B 1.333 x 1023 b. 79% 2. a. -1.176 J
3 F 9.525 x 1022 2. 6.03 x 10-4 b. 1.176 J
4 C 5.179 x 1022 3. a. 8.87 m/s 2 3. v = 7,720 m/s
5 A 4.104 x 1022 b. 44.3 N T = 90.6 min
a = 8.92 m/s 2
6 G 3.621 x 1021
4. a. 6.83 x 106
7 D 1.863 x 1021
b. 1.995 x 107
8 H 2.063 x 1017 c. 2.15 s
Activity No. 3: I Can Explain it!
(gravitational field) d. 5.83 x 107 m/s
Q1. Yes
Q2. Yes
Answers may vary
Q3. Inverse. Distance between planets decreases,
gravitational force increases.
Q4. If the separation distance between the planets
and the host star is ...
a. decreased, 4
b. decreased, 9
c. decreased, 16
Q5. Answers may vary

Author: RIC ME D. DIAZ

School/Station: LIANGA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SURIGAO DEL SUR
email address: [email protected]