Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
How does the force of gravitation between two objects change when the distance between them is reduced to half?
Solution
We know that gravitational force between two objects (F) = GMmr2
Hence, F ∝ `1/r^2`
Where r represents the distance.
If the distance is halved, then r = `r/2`
F ∝ `1/(r/2)^2`
F ∝ `1/(r^2/4)`
F ∝ `4/r^2`
Hence, if the distance between two objects is halved, then the gravitational force between them will become 4 times.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
How will you ‘weigh the sun’, that is estimate its mass? The mean orbital radius of the earth around the sun is 1.5 × 108 km.
Let V and E be the gravitational potential and gravitational field at a distance r from the centre of a uniform spherical shell. Consider the following two statements :
(A) The plot of V against r is discontinuous.
(B) The plot of E against r is discontinuous.
Four particles of equal masses M move along a circle of radius R under the action of their mutual gravitational attraction. Find the speed of each particle.
State whether the gravitational force between two masses is attractive or repulsive ?
Write an expression for the gravitational force of attraction between two bodies of masses m1 and m2 separated by a distance r.
Who stated the law of gravitation?
Distinguish between gravity and gravitation
Where will you weigh more: at the centre of the earth or at the surface of the earth?
The gravitational force between a hollow spherical shell (of radius R and uniform density) and a point mass is F. Show the nature of F vs r graph where r is the distance of the point from the centre of the hollow spherical shell of uniform density.
The gravitational force between a hollow spherical shell (of radius R and uniform density) and a point mass is F. Show the nature of F vs r graph where r is the distance of the point from the centre of the hollow spherical shell of uniform density.
