Gravitation

Gravitation

Chapter at a glance:
Kepler’s laws:

(i)Law of orbit: Each planet moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit with Sun at one of the foci of the elliptical orbit.

(ii) Law of areas: The line joining the Sun and a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time. In other words,
areal velocity of a planet is constant.

(iii) Law of periods: The square of time (T) for a planet to complete one revolution around the Sun is directly proportional
to the cube of semi-major axis(R) of the elliptical orbit. i.e, T2αR3 .

Gravitation: The force of attraction between any two bodies of the universe is called Gravitation.

Gravity: When the distance between the Earth and any body is nearly equal to the radius of the Earth, then Gravitation is
called Gravity.

Newton’s Law of gravitation: Each particle attracts another particle or bodies of this universe with a force (F) which is (i)
directly proportional to the product of masses of the bodies and (ii) inversely proportional to the square of distance
between these bodies.
𝑀𝑚 𝑀𝑚
i.e, Fα r^2 or, F=G. r^2
where G is the universal Gravitational constant. M and m are the masses of the bodies and r is the distance between
them.

Universal Gravitational constant:Universal gravitational constant is numerically equal to the force of attraction between
two bodies of mass 1kg each, separated by a distance of 1m.

Acceleration due to gravity: The acceleration produced in a body moving under the influence of gravity is known as
acceleration due to gravity. It is denoted by ‘g’.
𝐺𝑀
Acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Earth is g= R^2. Where G is the Universal Gravitational constant and M is
the mass of the Earth.

Variation of ‘g’ with height: Acceleration due to gravity at a height ‘h’ above the surface of Earth is given by
𝑔
gh= (1+ℎ/𝑅)^2

Variation of ‘g’ with depth d from the surface of the Earth: acceleration due to gravity at a depth ‘d’ from the surface of
𝑑
the Earth becomes gd= g(1-𝑅)

Variation of ‘g’ with the rotation of Earth at a latitude ϴ : Acceleration due to gravity at the point, on the surface of the
Earth, whose latitude is ϴ can be written as
𝑅Ꙍ2 cos2 𝛳
gϴ= g(1- 𝑔
)
where ϴ=0˚ at the equator and ϴ=90˚ at the poles.

Gravitational field: The space or region around a body within which its gravitational force of attraction is experienced by
another bodies is called gravitational field.

Intensity of gravitational field: The intensity or strength of gravitational field is defined as the force experienced by a
body of unit mass placed at the point. It is denoted by E.
𝐹
E=
𝑚
Where ‘F’ is the gravitational force experienced by a body having mass ‘m’, placed at the point of gravitational field.
Gravitational potential: Gravitational potential at a point in the gravitational field of a body is defined as the amount of
work done in bringing a unit mass from infinity to the point in the gravitational field. It is denoted by V.
𝐺𝑀
V= - 𝑟
Where ‘G’ is the universal gravitational constant, ‘M’ is the mass of the object which creates the gravitational field and ‘r’
is the distance of the point under consideration from the source mass.
Unit of gravitational potential is J/kg.

Gravitational potential energy: Gravitational potential energy at a point is defined as the work done in bringing the body
from infinity to that point. It is denoted by U.
𝐺𝑀𝑚
U= - 𝑟
Where m is the mass of the object whose gravitational potential energy to be calculated.
Unit of gravitational potential energy is Joule.

Escape speed: The minimum speed, required to project a body vertically upward from the earth so that it never returns to
the surface of the earth, is called escape speed. It is denoted by ve.
2𝐺𝑀
Ve= √( )=√(2gR)
𝑅

Orbital velocity of a satellite: The velocity required to put a satellite into its orbit around the Earth is called orbital
velocity. It is denoted by v0.
𝐺𝑀
v0= √{(𝑅+ℎ)} if h(height from the surface of the Earth) is large.
= √(gR) if h<<R.

𝐺𝑀𝑚
Total energy of satellite of mass m: E= - 2(𝑅+ℎ), where h is the height of the satellite from the surface of the Earth.

Binding Energy of Satellite: The amount of energy to be supplied to the satellite so that it can leave the gravitational
attraction of the planet, is called its binding energy.
𝐺𝑀𝑚
Binding energy of a satellite can be written as EB = .
2(𝑅+ℎ)

Geostationary Satellite: Satellites which appear to remain fixed at one location above the equator, having same time
period as the Earth’s rotation about its axis are called geostationary satellites.

Polar satellite: These satellites which go around the poles of the Earth in north-south direction are called polar satellites.

Questionaries
Very short answer type questions:
1. Name the force which keeps various planets and satellites moving in their orbits.
2. Write down the formula for the force of gravitation between two bodies having masses m1 and m2 when placed at
distance R from each other.
3. Which force is responsible for tides in the sea?
4. If the kinetic energy of a satellite revolving in an orbit close to the earth happens to be doubled, will the satellite
escape?
5. What is the SI unit of universal gravitational constant?
6. What is meant by free fall of abody?
7. Why is Earth flat at the poles?
8. Write down the SI unit of Gravitational potential.
9. Where from does a satellite get centripetal force for moving around the planet?
10. Write the formula for binding energy of a satellite.

Short answer type question (Marks 2):

1. Write down Newton’s law of gravitation?
2.Define gravitational constant and write down its dimensional formula.
3. Three equal masses, each ‘m’, are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle ABC. What is the force acting on a
mass ‘2m’ placed at the centroid G of the triangle?
4. The gravitational force acting on a rocket at a height h from the Earth surface is (1/3)rd of the force acting on a body at
sea level. What is the relation between h and R (radius of the Earth).
5. Write down the formula of gravitational potential energy and obtain from it an expression for gravitational potential.
6. An artificial satellite revolves in the orbit around the Earth without using any fuel. But an aeroplane requires fuel to fly
at a certain height. Why so?
7. The Earth moves around the Sun, but the Sun does not move around the Earth. Explain.
8. Mention two points of differences between mass and weight.
9. Show that the acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the mass of the object which is falling under gravity.
10. Mention two differences between ‘G’ and ‘g’.

Short answer type question (Marks 3):

1. How does the value of acceleration due to gravity vary on the surface of the Earth? Explain.
2. Obtain the formula for the variation of ‘g’ below the surface of Earth. Hence show that ‘g’ vanishes at the center of the
Earth.
3. Write the definitions and expressions of the intensity of gravitational field and gravitational potential. State their result.
4. What do you mean by escape speed of any body? Prove that Escape speed of any body is independent of the mass of
the body.
5. Write down Kepler’s law of planetary motion. Prove that the force acting on a planet is inversely proportional to the
square of distance from the Sun.
6. Obtain the expression for the gravitational potential energy and write the relation of gravitational potential with this.
7. Define acceleration due to gravity. The mass and radius of moon are 7.34× 1022 kg and 1.75× 106m. Find the
acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Moon.
8. After drilling a tunnel from the surface of the Earth to the centre, a body of mass ‘m’ is dropped into the tunnel.
Calculate the speed with which the body strikes the button of tunnel. Consider ‘M’ is the mass of the Earth and ‘R’ is the
radius of the Earth.
9. A person on the moon experiences gravitational force but the same person experices weightlessness in an artificial
satellite. Explain.
10. Suppose a light planet is revolving around a heavy star in a circular orbit of radius ‘r’ and period of revolution T. The
gravitational force of attraction between the star and the planet is proportional to (1/r1.5). Derive the relation between T
and r.
Long answer type questions (5 marks each):

1. Define escape velocity. Obtain an expression for the escape velocity of a body from the surface of the Earth.
2. Define orbital velocity and the time period of a satellite. Derive expression for these.
3. What are Geostationary satellite? Calculate the height of the orbit above the surface of the Earth in which a satellite, if
placed, will appear stationary.
4. Define total energy and binding energy of a satellite.
5. Define gravitational field intensity and gravitational potential. Calculate the same at a height equal to 5 times the radius
of the Earth?

Assertion-Reason type questions:

The questions given bellow consist of an assertion and the reason. Use the following key to choose appropriate answer:
(a)If both assertion and reason are correct and reason is a correct explanation of assertion.
(b) If both assertion and reason are correct but reason is not correct explanation of assertion.
(c) If assertion is correct and reason is incorrect.
(d) If assertion is incorrect and reason is correct.
(e)If both assertion and reason are incorrect.

1. Assertion: The time period of freely falling pendulum is infinite.

Reason: The effective value of acceleration due to gravity becomes zero.
2.Assertion: There is no atmosphere in the moon.
Reason: The escape velocity on the surface of the moon is very small. Due to this, molecules of the gases easily escape.
3.Assertion: The potential energy of a system of bodies is always negative.
Reason: Kinetic energy of a revolving satellite is always positive.
4.Assertion: The forces of friction arises due to gravitational attraction.
Reason: The gravitational forces can be attractive and repulsive.
5.Assertion: The escape velocity of a satellite launched at an angle of 45 degree is 11.2km/s.
Reason: As angle increases, escape velocity also increases.
6.Assertion: The speed of a satellite is constant if the orbit path of the satellite is elliptical.
Reason: Areal velocity of the planets is constant.
7.Assertion: The time period of a satellite revolving very closed to the surface of the Earth is less.
Reason: According to the Kepler’s law, the square of time period of revolution is directly proportional to the cube of
semi-major axis.
8.Assertion: Gravitational potential energy increases if we move away from the surface of the Earth.
Reason: Gravitation potential energy is zero at the infinity.
9.Assertion: If the distance of the Earth from the Sun becomes one half of the present distance, then the number of days
in one year on the Earth will become 236 days.
Reason: Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit.
10.Assertion: An astronaut in an orbiting space station above the Earth experiences weightlessness.
Reason: An object moving around the Earth under the influence of Earth’s gravitational force is in a state of ‘free-fall’.

Passage based Questions:

Passage 1: It is well known that the Earth attracts all the objects towards its centre. The force of attraction varies inversely
as the square of the distance between the object from the centre of the Earth. The force experienced per unit mass of a
body is defined as the intensity of the gravitational field, and it is directed towards the centre of the gravity of the object.
The nature of intensity of gravitational field is attractive and as it is given by force per unit mass of a body, its value at a
point is also equal to the acceleration of the test mass placed at the point.

(i) The SI unit of intensity of gravitational field

(a) J/kg (b) J/kgs 2 (c) N/kg (d) m/s 2
(ii) The dimensional formula of the intensity of gravitational field
(a) MLT-2 (b) ML-1T-2 (c) MLT-3 (d) M0LT-2
(iii) The value of the intensity of gravitational field at infinite distance from the body is
(a) Zero (b) infinite (c) less than unity (d) unity
(iv) Two bodies of mass 50kg and 100kg are at a distance of 1m apart. The intensity of gravitational field at the mid point
of the line joining them is
(a) 100GJ (b) 150GJ (c) 50GJ (d) 200GJ
(v) The unit of the intensity of gravitational field is the same as the unit of
(a) speed (b) Velocity (c) acceleration (d)potential energy

Passage 2:
A body projected vertically upward falls back to the earth after attaining a certain height due to resistance of atmosphere
of the Earth. If we go on increasing the speed of projection continuously, then a stage comes when the body just crosses
the gravitational pull of the Earth and thus escapes and does not returns to the Earth. The minimum speed require to
make a body escape is known as escape speed. The escape speed only depends on the mass of the planet from which the
body is projected and is given by √(2gR).

(i) The escape velocity for a body projected from a planet depends on
(a) mass of a body (b) angle of projection (c) mass of the planet (d) radius of the body
(ii) 618km/h is the escape velocity from the surface of
(a) Earth (b) Moon (c) Jupiter (d) Sun
(iii) A body from the surface of planet has escape velocity of 8km/s. If the mass of the body is made twice, then the
escape velocity is
(a) 8km/s (b) 16km/h (c) 8km/h (d) 16km/s
(iv) The moon will escape forever if its speed is increased by
(a) 42% (b) 52% (c) 70% (d) 90%
(v) The value of the escape velocity of any body from the surface of the Earth is
(a) 11.2m/s (b) 11.2km/h (c)11.2km/s (d) 112km/s

HOTS Questions:
1. Suppose the gravitational force varies inversely as the nth power of distance. Then, find the expression for the time
period of planet in a circular orbit of radius r around the Sun.
2. An artificial satellite is moving in a circular orbit around the earth with a speed equal to half of the magnitude of escape
velocity from the Earth. (i) Determine the height of the satellite above the surface of the Earth. (ii) If the satellite is
stopped suddenly and allowed to fall freely on to the Earth, find the speed with which it hits the surface of the Earth. Take
g=9.8m/s2 and radius of the Earth 6400km.
3. Two bodies of masses m1 and m2 are initially at rest placed at infinite distance apart. They are then allowed to move
towards each other under mutual gravitational attraction. Show that their relative velocity of approach at separation r
between them is
V= √ (2G/r) (√m1+√m2).
4. Three particles each of mass m are situated at the vertices of an equilateral triangle of side a. The only force acting on
the particles are their mutual gravitational forces. It is desired that the particle moves in a circle while maintaining an
original separation a. Find the initial velocity that should be given to each particle and also the time period of circular
motion.
5. Speed of two artificial satellites of the Earth having different masses but same orbital radius is the same. Is this
statement true or false?
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