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Lecture 3 - Universal Gravitation

The document discusses Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, explaining the difference between the universal gravitational constant (G) and gravitational acceleration (g), and how g varies with height. It also covers Kepler's laws of planetary motion and the gravitational force exerted by mass distributions, as well as gravitational potential energy concepts. Examples include calculating gravitational forces and understanding satellite motion in relation to gravitational forces.

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reham
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13 views

Lecture 3 - Universal Gravitation

The document discusses Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, explaining the difference between the universal gravitational constant (G) and gravitational acceleration (g), and how g varies with height. It also covers Kepler's laws of planetary motion and the gravitational force exerted by mass distributions, as well as gravitational potential energy concepts. Examples include calculating gravitational forces and understanding satellite motion in relation to gravitational forces.

Uploaded by

reham
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics I (BAS 021)

Fall 2019

Lecture 3
Universal Gravitation
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation

• While an apple might not have struck Sir Isaac Newton’s head as
myth suggests, the falling of one did inspire Newton to one of the
great discoveries in mechanics: The Law of Universal Gravitation.
Pondering why the apple never drops sideways or upwards or any
other direction except perpendicular to the ground, Newton realized
that the Earth itself must be responsible for the apple’s downward
motion.
• considering that this force must be proportional to the masses of the
two objects involved, and using previous intuition about the inverse-
square relationship of the force between the earth and the moon,
Newton was able to formulate a general physical law by induction.
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
What is the difference between g and G?
• G stands for the universal gravitational constant, It is the same
everywhere,
whereas g stands for the gravitational acceleration due to gravity at a
certain point.

• G is a constant throughout space and time, = 6.673 x10-11 N.m2/kg2


whereas g is a variable quantity due to location.
g = 9.80 m/s2 at the surface of the Earth.

• g depends on the universal gravitational constant,


Whereas, G is independent of the gravitational acceleration.

• The basic units of g are ms-2,


whereas the units of G are N.m2/kg2
Variation of g with Height
More about Force
Example:
Three 0.300-kg billiard balls are
placed on a table at the corners of
a right triangle as shown in Figure.
The sides of the triangle are of
lengths a = 0.400 m, b = 0.300 m,
and c = 0.500 m.
• Calculate the gravitational
force vector on ball (m1)
resulting from the other two
balls as well as the magnitude
and direction of this force.
Finding g from G
•The magnitude of the force acting on an object of
mass m in free-fall near the Earth’s surface is (mg).
•This can be set equal to the force of universal
gravitation acting on the object.
ME m ME
mg = G → g = G
RE2 RE2

GME
g=
( RE + h )
2

•If an object is some distance h above the Earth’s


surface, r becomes RE + h.
•This shows that g decreases with increasing altitude.
•As r → , the weight of the object approaches zero.
Johannes Kepler

•1571 – 1630
•German astronomer
•Best known for
developing laws of
planetary motion
• Based on the
observations of Tycho
Brahe
Kepler’s Laws and the Motion of Planets

• Kepler’s First Law: “All planets move in elliptical orbits with


the Sun at one focus”.

• Kepler’s Second Law: “The radius vector drawn from the Sun
to a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals”.

• Kepler’s Third Law: “The square of the orbital period of any


planet is proportional to the cube of the semi major axis of
the elliptical orbit”.
Kepler’s First Law
• A circular orbit is a special case of the general elliptical orbits.

• Is a direct result of the inverse square nature of the gravitational


force.
• Elliptical (and circular) orbits are allowed for bound objects.
• A bound object repeatedly orbits the center.
• An unbound object would pass by and not return.
Kepler’s First Law
• F1 and F2 are each a focus of the ellipse.
• They are located a distance c from the
center.
• The sum of r1 and r2 remains constant.
• The longest distance through the center is
the major axis.
• a is the semi-major axis.
• The shortest distance through the center is
the minor axis.
• b is the semi-minor axis.
• The eccentricity (‫ )اإلحنراف‬of the ellipse is
defined as e = c /a.
• For a circle, e = 0
• The range of values of the eccentricity
for ellipses is 0 < e < 1.
• The higher the value of e, the longer and
thinner the ellipse.
• Note that:
• The Sun is at one focus, it is not at the center of the ellipse.
• Nothing is located at the other focus.

Aphelion is the point farthest away


from the Sun.
The distance for aphelion is a + c.
For an orbit around the Earth, this
point is called the apogee.

Perihelion is the point nearest the Sun.


The distance for perihelion is a – c.
For an orbit around the Earth, this
point is called the perigee.
Orbital Eccentricity Examples
• Mercury’s orbit has the highest eccentricity of any planet (e = 0.21)
• Comet Halley’s orbit has a much higher eccentricity (e = 0.97)
Kepler’s Second Law

dr = vdt

dA L
= = constant
dt 2M p
Kepler’s Third Law
Kepler’s Third Law
Gravitational Force Due to a Distribution of Mass

•The gravitational force exerted by a finite-size, spherically


symmetric mass distribution on a particle outside the
distribution is the same as if the entire mass of the
distribution were concentrated at the center.
•For example, the force exerted by the Earth on a particle of
mass m near the surface of the Earth is

ME m
Fg = G 2
RE
Example, Geosynchronous Satellite

• A geosynchronous satellite
appears to remain over the
same point on the Earth.
• The gravitational force
supplies a centripetal force.
• Consider the satellite as a
particle under a net force and a
particle in uniform circular
motion.
• Can you find velocity of
Satellite?
Example, Geosynchronous Satellite
Gravitational Potential Energy
• Near the Earth’s surface, the gravitational potential
energy function was U = mgy for a particle-Earth
system.
• This was valid only when the particle is near the
Earth’s surface, where the gravitational force is
constant.
• The gravitational force is conservative.
• The gravitational force is a central force
◼ It is directed along a radial line toward the center
◼ Its magnitude depends only on r

◼ A central force can be represented by : F (r ) rˆ


•The change in gravitational potential
energy of a system associated with a
given displacement of a member of
the system is defined as the
negative of the internal work done
by the gravitational force on that
member during the displacement.
Gravitational Potential Energy – Work
Gravitational Potential Energy, General
•For any two particles, the gravitational potential energy function becomes:

•The gravitational potential energy between any two particles varies as 1/r.
• Remember the force varies as 1/r 2.

•The potential energy is negative because the force is attractive and we


chose the potential energy to be zero at infinite separation.

•An external agent must do positive work to increase the separation


between two objects.
• The work done by the external agent produces an increase in the gravitational
potential energy as the particles are separated.
• U becomes less negative.
Systems with Three or More Particles
•The total gravitational potential
energy of the system is the sum
over all pairs of particles.
•Each pair of particles
contributes a term of U.
•Assuming three particles:

•The absolute value of Utotal


represents the work needed to
separate the particles by an
infinite distance.
Energy and Satellite Motion
Reference:
Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern
Physics, 8th Ed., Raymond A. Serway and John W.
Jewett, Jr., 2014

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