Universal gravitational force:-

1- Newton’s Law of Gravity:-

The general (universal) gravitational law: -

A body in the universe attracts another body by a force which is directly

proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional
to square the distance between their centers.

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Mathematical relation:
𝑴𝒎
F= G 𝒓𝟐

Where: (F) is the attraction force between the two bodies, (M) is the mass of the first body,
(m) is the mass of the second body, (r) is the distance between the centers of the two bodies and
(G) is the general gravitational constant.

Gravitational constant ------------------------------------------------------

Definition:- A universal constant that numerically equals the mutual attraction force
between two bodies each of mass 1kg and square the distance between their centers is 1m2.

The general formula: - G =

The measuring unit: - N.m2/kg2. Or m3/kg.s2

The dimensional formula: - M-1L3 T-2.

The numerical value: - 6.67x 10-11 m3/kg.s2.

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Example 1: - Two bodies the mass of the first body is M= 6kg, and the mass of the second is
m = 4kg, the distance between their centers is r = 3m. Find
a- The attraction force between them.
b- The acceleration for each one to other. (G = 6.67 x10-11N.m2/kg2.)

Solution

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Example 2: - Find the mutual attraction between the Sun and Jupiter giving that; the mass
of the sun is 2 x kg; the mass of Jupiter is 1.89 x kg and the distance between
their centers is 7.73 x m. (knowing that: G = 6.67 x 10 N.m2/kg2).
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Solution
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Example 3: - Calculate the attraction force between the Earth and a satellite of mass
2000kg, if it rotates around the Earth at a height that equals the radius of the Earth.
(Knowing that: the radius of the Earth = 6380km, the mass of the Earth = 5.98 x kg,
-11 2 2
the gravitational constant = 6.67 x 10 N.m /kg ).
Solution
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2- Gravitational Field:-
There is a region in which the gravitational forces appear, this region is called
the gravitational field.
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Mathematical relation: 𝑮𝑴
g= 𝒓𝟐

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If the body is at:-

a- The Earth’s surface.

g=
b- A height (h) above the Earth’s surface.
g=

c- A depth (h) below the Earth’s surface. g=

2
 The gravitational field intensity: -

It is the gravitational force acting on a mass of 1kg at a certain point.

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- To compare the acceleration due gravity for two planets:

𝒈𝟏 𝑴𝟏 𝑹𝟐𝟐
=
𝒈𝟐 𝑴𝟐 𝑹𝟐𝟏

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Example 1:- Find the acceleration due to gravity of body falling freely at height 500km, and
then find the ratio between its weights at this height and its weight on the Earth’s surface.
(Knowing that: M = 5.98 x 1024kg, R = 6.38 x 106m, and G = 6.67 x 10 -11N.m2/kg2).
Solution

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Example 2:- A Satellite of mass 104kg orbits the Earth at a height of 600km from its
surface, Calculate;
a- The acceleration due to gravity of the Earth that affects the satellite on its orbit.
b- The weight of the satellite in its orbit.
(Knowing that: R = 6378km, M = 5.98 x 1024kg, G = 6.67 x 10-11N. m2/kg2).
Solution
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Example 3:- A planet has a mass twice that of Earth and a diameter twice that of Earth.
Find the ratio of the acceleration due gravity of the two planets.

Solution ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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3- Satellite: -
The projectile orbits the Earth in a roughly circular path and it becomes a follower of
the Earth.
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The orbital velocity of a satellite: -

It is the velocity that makes the satellite orbit the Earth in a roughly circular path
where it is still at a constant distance from the Earth’s surface.

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Deducing the orbital velocity of a satellite (v): -

Assume that a satellite of mass (m) moves with a velocity (v)

in an orbit of radius (r) around the Earth of mass (M) as in figure:-

- The force attraction between the Earth and the satellite

is given by the relation:
𝒎𝑴
F = G 𝒓𝟐

- The force attraction between the Earth and the satellite

is normal to the direction of the motion of the satellite
so it makes the satellite move in a circular path:

𝒎𝒗𝟐
F= 𝒓

- So the attraction force between the Earth and the satellite is the same centripetal
force that acts on the satellite.
⸫G = , =

𝑮𝑴
⸫v= 𝒓

Where (G) is the gravitational constant and if the height that the satellite was launched to
is (h) and the radius of the Earth is (R): r = R + h

𝑮𝑴
⸫v= 𝑹 𝒉

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 otes
1- If the satellite stopped and its velocity become zero.
The satellite will move in a straight line under the gravity of the Earth towards the Earth
and fall down onto it.
2- If the gravitational force between the Earth and the satellite vanished.
The satellite will move in a straight line tangent to the circular path away from the Earth.
3- To calculate the time taken by the satellite to complete one revolution around the Earth
(the periodic time T): 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝟐𝝅𝒓
T= =
𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒗

4- The tangential velocity is given by the relation: - v=

5- The centripetal acceleration is given by the relation: - a =

6- The centripetal force is given by the relation: - F = ma =

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Example 1: - A satellite rotates around the Earth in a circular orbit of radius 8 x 103km.
Calculate the following: -
a- The orbital velocity.
b- The periodic time.
c- Its centripetal acceleration.
(Knowing that: the mass of the Earth (M) = 6 x 1024kg, and G = 6.67 x10-11 N.m2/kg2).

Solution --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Example 2: - The Moon rotates around the Earth in a circular orbit of radius 3.85 x 105km
and completes one revolution in 27.3 days. Calculate the mass of the Earth.
(Knowing that: Universal gravitational constant = 6.67 x 10-11m3.kg-1.s-2, π = 3.14).
Solution
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Example 3: - A satellite rotates around the Earth in a roughly circular orbit at a height of
940km above the Earth’s surface. Calculate the orbital velocity and the time required by
the satellite to make a complete revolution around the Earth.
(Knowing that: R = 6360km, M = 6 x 1024kg, G = 6.67 x 10-11N.m2/kg2, π = 3.14).

Solution

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Example 4: - A satellite completes a revolution around the Earth in 94.4 minutes. If the
length of its orbit = 43120km. Calculate the orbital velocity and the height of the satellite
above the surface of the Earth. (Knowing that: R = 6360km).
Solution

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Example 5: - Calculate the radius of the orbital of a satellite that is synchronized with the
Earth (follows the Earth). (Knowing that: M = 5.98 x 1024kg, G = 6.67 x 10-11N.m2/kg2).

Solution

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 Revision on the chapter
Q1) Choose the correct answer: -
1- If the distance between the centers of two bodies is doubled and their masses are kept
unchanged, the mutual attraction force between them will be……...
A) Doubled. B) Halved. C) Quartered. D) Increases 4 times.
2- If the distance between the centers of two masses decreased to its half, the mutual
attraction force between them………….
A) is doubled B) increases 4 times C)decreases to its half D)doesn’t change
3- Two balls of masses 8 kg and 20 kg ,the distance between their centers is 0.2 m, if the
universal gravitational constant is G, so the gravitational force between
them in Newton =……………….
A) 8000 G. B) 4000 G. C) 40 G. D) 8 G.
4- The measuring unit of the general gravitational constant is ……….. (Choose 2 answers).
A) N.m.kg. B) N.m2/ kg2 C) N.m2 D) m3 . kg/s2 E) m3 /kg.s2
5- The acceleration due to Earth’s gravity…………… (Choose 2 answers).
A) Is a general universal constant
B) Changes according to the height from the Earth's surface
C) Changes through the seasons of the year
D) varies according to the distance between Earth and Sun
E) Doesn't change by changing the mass of the body
6- On the scale of a building, gravitational field is………..
A) increasing B) decreasing C) uniform D) varying
7- Which of the following affect their strength of the gravitational field on the surface of a
planet………..... (More than one answer is correct).
A) The mass of the object the surface. B) The mass of the planet.
C) The radius of the planets. D) The presence of air at the surface of the planet
8- The orbital velocity of a satellite is inversely proportional to……………….
A) The mass of a satellite B) The square root of its mass.
C) The radius of the orbit. D) The square root of the orbital radius
9- If the orbital radius of a satellite increases 4 times, the orbital velocity will be ……….
A) halved B) doubled. C) decreased to the quarter D)increased 4 times
10- The velocity required for the Earth to rotate around the sun depends on the…………..
A) Mass of the Earth only. B) Mass of the sun and the distance between them.
C) Mass of the sun only. D) Mass of the Earth and the sun and the distance
between them
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 Q2) Write the scientific terms for the following: -
1- It is the velocity that makes the satellite orbit the Earth in a roughly circular path where it
is still at a constant distance from the Earth’s surface. {………………………}.
2- A body in the universe attracts another body by a force which is directly
proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional
to square the distance between their centers. {………………………}.
3- It is the gravitational force acting on a mass of 1kg at a certain point. {………………}.
4- A universal constant that numerically equals the mutual attraction force between two
bodies each of mass 1kg and square the distance between their
centers is 1m2. {………………………}.
5- The projectile orbits the Earth in a roughly circular path and it becomes a follower of the
Earth. {………………………}.
6- The region in which the gravitational forces appear. {………………………}.
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Q3)Complete the following:-
1- A body in the universe attracts another body by a force which is ………….
proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional
to ………………………………………………
2- The satellite will move in a straight line under the gravity of the Earth towards the Earth
and fall down onto it, when the velocity of satellite becomes…………………….
3- The satellite will move in a straight line tangent to the circular path away from the Earth,
when the ……………………….. between the Earth and the satellite vanished.
4- The attraction force between the Earth and the satellite is …………….centripetal force
that acts on the satellite.
5- The force attraction between the Earth and the satellite is ……………. the direction of
the motion of the satellite.
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Q4) Give reasons for the following: -
1- The satellite doesn’t fall on the Earth although it is affected by the Earth’s gravity.
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2- The weight of the man on the Earth different from its weight on the moon.
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