Gravity

The Law of Gravitation

 Anything that has mass is attracted
by the force of Gravity.
 The attractive force between 2
objects depends on two things:
1 – Mass of the objects
2 – Distance between them
 As mass increases, gravitational
force between the objects
increases.
 As two objects move closer to each
other, gravitational force increases
between them.
The Range of Gravity
 Gravity is a long-range force.
 Ex. The stars in our galaxy exert
gravitational force on each other;
helps keep its shape.
Gravitational Acceleration
 Remember Newton’s Second Law?
 F = ma

• Acceleration due to gravity on earth

is always 9.8 m/s2

• Gravity  Fw = m x 9.8 m/s2

Inertia and Gravity
 Force depends on an object’s mass.
 Ex. Bowling ball vs. Tennis ball; the
bowling ball has more gravitational
force.
 ** However, the greater the mass,
the more inertia an object has **
 Tennis ball has less inertia,
therefore it will fall at the same rate
of the bowling ball.
Weight
 Gravitational force exerted on an
object is called weight.
 Weight = mass x acceleration due
to gravity (W = m x 9.8 m/s2)
 Ex. How much does a person with a
mass of 50 kg weigh on earth?
 Answer  490 N
 Weight and mass are not the same.
 Weight is a force
 Mass is the amount of matter an object
has
 A person weighing about 480N on
earth would weigh about 80N on the
moon. Does this person’s mass
change?
 Answer  No! The moon just has
less gravitational force.
Weightlessness
 If you stood on a scale in an
elevator, and the elevator fell, you
and the scale would be in free fall.
 The scale would not exert an
upward force on you; it would fall
with you. Your weight is 0 in free
fall.
Projectile Motion
 Anything that is thrown or shot
through the air is called a projectile.
 Projectiles follow a curved path.
Why?
 Answer  They have horizontal and
vertical velocities.