GRAVITATION – ALL DERIVATIONS

Acceleration due to gravity

Consider a small body of mass m kept near the surface of earth. The weight of this body is given by
W = mg
Also, the gravitational force of earth on the body is

GMm
F , where M is the mass of the earth and R is the radius of the earth. (As the size of body is very small
R2
as compared to size of earth, we have considered the distance between the centre of body and earth as radius of
earth).
Therefore, we can write

GMm
mg 
R2

GM
 g which is the formula for acceleration due to gravitation.
R2

As M  6  10 24 kg, R  6.4  106 m , putting all these values, we get g = 9.8 ms-2.

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Variation of acceleration due to gravity with height

GM
As acceleration due to gravity at surface of earth, g  . Therefore, acceleration due to gravity at a height
R2
GM
h above the surface of earth g '  .
R  h
2

GM
g ' R  h
2

 
g GM
R2

g' R2
  . . . . . . . . . . (i)
g (R  h) 2

g' R2
 
g R 2 (R  h )2
R

g' 1
 
g (R  h ) 2
R
2
g'  h
  1  
g  R

If h << R, We can expand above expression using binomial theorem

g'  2h 
 1  
g  R

g ' 2h
1 
g R
g  g' 2h
  100   100
g R

2h
i.e. percentage decrease in the value of g at a height h =  100 . Where h is very small as compared to radius
R
of earth.
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Variation of g with depth

GM '
If body is taken at a depth d below the surface of earth then, g '  .
R  d
2

Where M ' is the mass of that spherical part of earth whose radius is  R  d  .

Let earth be a uniform sphere of density ρ, then

4
M  R 3
3
G 4
 g  2 R 3
R 3
4
 g  GR
3
And,

4
R  d 
3
M'
3
G 4
R  d 
3
g ' 
R  d 3
2

4
 g '  G  R  d  
3
Therefore,
 4
G  R  d  
g' 3

g 4
GR
3
g' R  d g' d
   1
g R g R

 d
Hence, percentage decrease at a depth d in the value of g is given by  1   100 .
 R

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Variation in the value of g due to shape of earth

Since earth is not perfectly spherical in shape and radius at poles is less than the radius of earth at equator,
therefore there is a slight difference in the value of g on these two places.
If RP = Radius of earth at poles and gP = acceleration due to gravity at poles and
If RE = Radius of earth at equator and gE = acceleration due to gravity at equator

GM GM
Then, g P  2
and g E  2 . Since R P  R E  g P  g E .
RP RE

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Gravitational potential at a distance r due to a body of mass M

Consider a body of mass M. A body of mass m is place at a distance x from the centre of this body.

GMm
Then force of gravitation between them is, F  .
x2
Small amount of work (dW) done to move mass m through small distance dx towards mass M is
dW  Fdx
GMm
 dW  dx
x2
Therefore, total work done to move this body from x = ∞ to x = r is given by
 GMm r
 dW  
x2

dx
r 1
 W  GMm  2 dx
 x

r
 x 2 1 
 W  GMm  
 2  1  
r
1 
 W  GMm  
 x 

1 1 
 W  GMm   
r  
GMm
W
r

W
By definition, potential at P is V  . Therefore,
m

GM
V
r

GMm
Clearly, the work done to arrange this system is W   . This work is stored in the system in the form of
r
potential energy.
In general, potential energy of a system of two bodies of masses m1 and m2 placed at a distance r apart is given
by

Gm1m 2
U .
r

Prove that the work done to move a body of mass m through a distance h against the
gravitational force is mgh.
For a body of mass m placed at the surface of earth, the potential energy of the system is given by

GMm
U1  
R
Now, if this body is taken to a height h, potential energy is given by

GMm
U2  
Rh
Change in potential energy is U  U 2  U1

GMm GMm
 U   
Rh R
 
GMm  1 
 U  1  
R  1 h 
 R
 GMm   
1
h
 U  1   1   
R   R 

For small heights, above expression can expanded binomially and it can be written as

GMm   h 
 U   1  1   
R   R 
GMm  h 
 U   
R R
GMmh
 U   U  mgh
R2
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Satellite
A body that revolves around a planet is called a satellite. Satellite is of two types: artificial and natural.
We launch a satellite around earth in an orbit with such a speed that centripetal force required by satellite is
equal to the gravitational force of earth in that orbit.
Consider a satellite of mass m revolving around earth at a height h from the surface of earth. If orbital radius of
satellite is r then clearly r = R + h.

The various parameters of the satellite can be obtained as:

Orbital velocity
As, centripetal force = Gravitational force

mv 2 GMm
 2
r r
GM
 v
r

GM
v
Rh

If satellite is revolving very close to earth, then we can write above expression as

GM
v
R

Putting all the values in the above expression, we get

v = 7.92 kms-1.

Time period
It is the time taken by satellite to complete one orbit around earth.

2r
T
v
2r
T
GM
r
r
 T  2r
GM

r3
 T  2
GM
(R  h)3
 T  2
GM

If h  R, then

R3
T  2
GM
R3
 T  2
4
G R 3
3
4 2
T
4
G R 3
3
3
 T
G

Height of satellite
(R  h)3
As T  2
GM

Squaring both sides, we get

(R  h)3
T 2  4 2
GM
T 2 GM
 R  h
3

4 2
1
 T 2 GM  3
R h  2 
 4 
1
 T 2 GM  3
 h  2 
R
 4 
Kinetic Energy
2
1 1  GM 
KE = mv 2  KE  m  
2 2  r 

1 GMm
 KE 
2 r

Potential energy
GMm
PE  
r

Total energy
TE = KE + PE

1 GMm GMm
TE  
2 r r
1 GMm
 TE  
2 r

Binding Energy
It is defined as the amount of energy required to remove a satellite from its orbit. It is equal to the positive of
total energy of satellite.

1 GMm
BE  .
2 r
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Escape velocity
It is the minimum velocity with which a body must be thrown upwards from the surface of a planet such that it
just crosses the gravitational field of planet and never returns on its own.

Consider a body of mass m at a distance x from the centre of earth as shown. Force acting on this body is

GMm
F .
x2
Small amount of work (dW) done to move mass m through small distance dx away from earth is
dW  Fdx
GMm
 dW  dx
x2
Therefore, total work done to move this body from x = R to x = ∞ is given by

 x 21 
 W  GMm  
 2  1  R

1 
 W  GMm  
 x R

1 1
 W  GMm   
 R 
GMm
W
R
This work must be equal to KE given to the body at the time of launch

1 GMm
mv e2 
2 R
2GM
 ve 
R

Alternate method
Since total energy of the body at the surface and at infinity must be equal. Therefore, we can write

1 2  GMm 
mve    00
2  R 
.
GMm
 ve 
R

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Kepler’s laws of planetary motion

First law (law of orbits): Orbits of planets are elliptical in shape and sun is situated at one of the foci.

Second law (Law of areas): The area swept by planet per unit time with respect to sun i.e. areal velocity of a
planet around sun is always constant.
Third law (law of time periods): The square of time period of a planet around sun is directly proportional to the
cube of its average orbital radius.
Proof:
Let mass of planet be m and mass of sun be M and average orbital radius of planet is r, then
Centripetal force = gravitational force
mv 2 GMm

r r2
GM
 v2 
r
2
 2r  GM
  
 T  r
4 r
2 2
GM
 2

T r
4 3
2
 T2  r
GM

42
Since is constant, therefore T 2  r 3
GM
For two planets having time periods T1 and T2
and orbital radii R1 and R2, we can write

T12 R 13

T22 R 32

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