Class 9 - Science - Ch10 Gravitation

What is centripetal force

Answer: Any motion in a curved path represents accelerated motion, and requires a force directed
toward the center of curvature of the path. This force is called the centripetal force .

Q1. State the universal law of gravitation.

Answer: Every object of the universe attracts other object. The force of attraction between the
two objects is proportional to the product of their mass and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them. The direction of this force is along the line joining the
centres of the objects.
If m1 and m2 are the two objects separated by a distance d, then force attraction between them
is:
F = Gm1m2/d2
where G is the universal Gravitation constant = 6.67 10-11 Nm2/kg2
Q2: What is the importance of Universal Law of Gravitation?
(or)
State any one phenomena related to the Universal Law of Gravitation.
Answer: The law is universal i.e. it is applicable to all bodies, whether the bodies are big or
small, whether they are celestial or terrestrial. It successfully explains various phenomena:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

the force that binds us to the earth.

the motion of the moon around the earth
the motion of planets around the Sun
the tides due to the moon and the Sun.
it also helps us finding the masses of planets and stars.

Q3 Why is G called the Universal Constant?

Answer: At any place in the universe and at any time, the value of G is found to be constant
for any two bodies. Thus G is called the universal constant of gravitation.
It is defined as force of attraction acting between two objects of mass 1 kg each placed at a
distance of 1 m.
Mathematically, G = F.d2/m1m2
Thus the SI unit of the universal constant of gravitation is Nm2/kg2.
The value of G is 6.67 10-11 Nm2/kg2

Q: Who measured the value of G first time, experimentally?

Answer: Henr
Q: What is the gravitational force between the Earth and a body called? In which
direction does it occur?
Answer: Weight of the body or gravity. It always acts towards the centre of the earth i.e.
vertically downwards.
Q: An object moves in a circular motion due to centripetal force, acting towards the
center. The moon also rotates around the earth? Does centripetal force acts on it? Why
does the moon not fall on the earth?
(or)
If the moon attracts the earth, why does the earth not move towards the moon?

Answer: Yes the centripetal force acts on the moon. This force is due to gravitational force
between the earth and the moon and it acts on both the objects. Gravitational force is always
attractive, still the moon does not fall on the earth, because the tangential speed (due to
centripetal force) of the moon make it escape from the gravitational force and is enough to
hold it in its orbital path.
Q: The earth and the moon are attracted to each other by gravitational force. Does the
earth attract the moon with a force that is greater or smaller or the same as the force
with which the moon attracts the earth? Why?
Answer: The two objects attract each other with equal forces of attraction but in opposite
directions.
Q: How gravitational force is different from or similar to magnetic force (between two
magnets) or coulomb force (between two charged object)?
Answer: Similarity: These three forces follow inverse square rule i.e. force between the two
objects is inversely proportional to the square of distance between them.
Difference: While gravitational force is always attractive, magnetic force and coulomb forces
can be attractive or repulsive (e.g. North-North pole repel each other.). Among the three,
gravitational force is the weakest.
Q: Calculate the force of gravitation between the earth and the Sun, given that the mass
of the earth = 6 1024 kg and of the Sun = 2 1030 kg. The average distance between the
two is 1.5 1011 m.
Answer: Given, mass of the earth (mE) = 6 1024 kg
mass of the sun (mS) = 2 1030 kg
Distance between the bodies (d) = 1.5 1011m
Gravitational Constant (G) = 6.67 10-11 Nm2/kg2
Applying formula of Newton's Law of Gravitation,

F = GmEmS/d2 = 6.67 10-11 6 1024 2 1030 / (1.5 1011)2

F = 80.04 10-11+24+30/ 2.25 1022 = 35.57 1043-22 = 35.57 1021
F = 3.56 1022N
Q: The Earth attracts an apple. Does the apple also attract the Earth? If it does, why
does the Earth not move towards the apple?

Answer: According to Newton's law of gravitation, both apple and the earth attract each other
with equal force but in opposite directions. Also they they produce different accelerations
depending on the mass of the object. It means apple also attract the Earth. Since the mass of
the earth is extremely large as compared to mass of the apple, acceleration of the earth due to
this force of attraction is very low (of order 10-25 m/s2).
Mathematically, mass of an apple (mapple) = 150g = 0.15 kg
mass of the earth (mE) = 6 1024 kg
acceleration acting on apple due to gravity (g) of earth = 9.8 m/s2
Weight of the apple = mapple g = 0.15 9.8 = 1.47 N
Earth also experiences 1.47 N force.
i.e. mE a = 1.47N
a = 1.47 / 6 1024= 2.45 10-25 m/s2 (extremely small value)
Q: How is gravitational force of attraction between two bodies affected if
(i) Mass of both bodies is doubled.
(ii) Distance between them is halved.
Answer: The gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of
their mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
(i) if mass of both bodies is doubled, the force of the attraction will increase by 4 time.
(ii) if distance between them is halved, the force of attraction will increase by 4 times.
In case above two cases occur in parallel, the force of attraction will increase by 16 times.
Q: What happens to the force between two objects, if
(i) the mass of one object is doubled?
(ii) the distance between the objects is doubled and tripled?
(iii) the masses of both objects are doubled?
Answer: The gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product
of their mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
F = Gm1m2/d2

(i) Doubled
If m1 becomes 2m1
FNew = G2m1m2/d2 = 2(Gm1m2/d2) = 2F
(ii) One fourth and one-ninth
if distance between objects is doubled i.e. 2d, FNew = Gm1m2/(2d)2 = Gm1m2/4d2
FNew = F/4
if distance is tripled i.e. 3d, FNew = Gm1m2/(3d)2 = Gm1m2/9d2
FNew = F/9
(iii) four times
If both masses are doubled i,e, 2m1 and 2m2
FNew = G2m12m2/d2 = 4(Gm1m2/d2) = 4F
Q: An object is placed at the surface of the earth and is at distance R from the center of
the earth. The object weighs 180N. What will be its weight if it is at distance 3R from
the center of the earth.
Answer: 20N.
Q: Does the force of attraction between two objects depend on the properties of
intervening medium?
Answer: No.
Q: Does Law of gravitation obey Newton's third law of motion?
Answer: Yes.

Q: What is free fall?

Answer: The falling of a body from a height towards the earth under the influence of
gravitational force of the earth alone is called free fall.
Q: Define 'g' or acceleration due to gravity? Does it depend on the mass of the body
(near the surface of the earth)experiencing 'g'?
Answer: The constant acceleration experienced by a freely falling object towards the earth is
called acceleration due to gravity (g). Its average value on the surface of the earth is 9.8 m/s2.
It does not depend on the mass of the body experiencing 'g'.
i.e. g = GmE/R2 = 9.8 m/s2.
where mE is the mass of the earth, R is the radius of the earth and G is the universal constant.
Q: (a) What is the relationship between g and G?
(b) Show mathematically whether g (acceleration due to gravity on the earth) depends
on the mass of the object itself or not.
(c) Show that for a given location on the surface of the earth g is almost constant.

Answer: Let ME is the mass of the earth,

m is the mass of the object on the surface of the earth.
R is the radius of the earth
g is the acceleration due to gravity and
G is the universal constant.
According to Newton's second law, Force on the body due to acceleration due to gravity is
F = mass(m) acceleration due to gravity(g) = mg
...(I)
Using Newton's law of gravitation, the force of attraction F = GmME/R2

... (II)

Since both these forces are equal, equating I and II,

mg = GmME/R2
g = GME/R2

...(III)

The above equation (III) shows, acceleration due to gravity(g) is independent of its mass. It
depends on the mass of the earth(or planet) and the distance between the two objects.
For a given location on the surface of the earth, ME and R are constant.
for that location value of g is constant.

Q: Why is the weight of an object on the moon 1/6th its weight on the earth?
or
Show that the weight of an object on moon is 1/6th its weight on earth
Answer:
Let 'm' be the mass of an object.
RE be radius of the earth = 6400km = 6.4 106 m
ME = mass of the earth = 5.98 1024 kg
RM = radius of the moon. = 1.74 106 m
MM = mass of the moon = 7.36 1022 kg
WE = weight of an object on the earth.
WM = weight of an object on the moon.
Using Newton's Law of gravitation,
WE = GMEm/RE2
WM = GMMm/RM2
WM/WE = MM/RM2 RE2/ME = MMRE2 /MERM2
WM/WE = (7.36 1022)(6.4 106)2 /(5.98 1024)(1.74 106)2
WM/WE = 0.165 = 1/6
WM = WE/6

Q: Gravitational force acts on all objects in proportion to their masses. Why then, a

heavy object does not fall faster than a light object?

Answer: All objects fall under the influence of gravity and experience constant acceleration
(g).
g = GME/R2
Since g is constant for a location and independent of mass of the object, heavy objects do not
fall faster than light objects.

Q: What is the magnitude of the gravitational force between the earth and a 1 kg object
on its surface? (Mass of the earth is 6 1024 kg and radius of the earth is 6.4 106 m).
Answer: Given,
RE radius of the earth = 6.4 106 m
ME = mass of the earth = 6 1024 kg
G = Universal Gravitational Constant = 6.67 10-11 Nm2/kg2
m = mass of object = 1kg
According to Newton's Law of gravitation, the gravitation force (F) is
F = GMEm/RE2
F = (6.67 10-11)(6 1024)(1)/(6.4 106)2
F = 9.8N
Q: Define mass.
Answer: The mass of the body is the quantity of matter it contains. It is the measure of inertia
of the
body. It is a scalar quantity. Its SI unit is kg. The mass of an object is constant and does not
change from place to place.

Q: Define weight? How it is related to mass?

Answer: The weight of the body is the force experienced by the body due to its gravity. It is a
vector quantity and always directs towards the centre of the earth. The SI unit of weight is
Newton (N).
Weight is also called force of gravity on the body.
Weight and mass are related as follows:
Weight = mass(m) acceleration due to gravity(g) = mg
Q: Mass of an object is 10 kg. What is its weight on the Earth? (g = 9.8 m/s2.)
Answer: Weight = mass(m) acceleration due to gravity(g) = mg
W = 10 9.8 = 98N

Q: What are the differences between the mass of an object and its weight?

Answer:
Mass
1. It is the quantity of the matter
contained in the body.
2. SI unit is kg
3. It is a scalar quantity i.e. has
magnitude only.
4. It is a measure of inertia of the body.
5. It is measured by physical or beam
balance.
6. It is constant for a body and does not
change from place to place.
.

Weight
1. It is the gravitational force of attraction on the
body by the earth(planet).
2. SI unit is Newton(N)
3. It is a vector quantity i.e. has both magnitude
and direction. e.g. On the Earth, its direction is
always towards the centre of the earth/planet.
4. It is the measure of the gravity.
5. It is measured by spring balance calibrated to
read in Newton scale or Kg-Wt.
6. It is not constant but varies as the value of
gravity changes place to place.

Q: Gravitational force on the surface of the moon is only 1/6th as strong as gravitational
force on the Earth. What is the weight in newtons of a 10 kg object on the moon and on
the Earth? What is the value of 'g' at the surface of the moon?
Answer: weight = mass acceleration = mg
Given mass of the object (m) = 10kg
Value of g on the earth = 9.8 m/s2.
Weight of the object on the earth (WE) = 10 9.8 = 98N.
Weight of the object on the moon (WM) = 1/6th of WE = 98/6 = 16.34 N
Acceleration due to gravity at the moon's surface = WM /m = 16.34 / 10 = 1.63 m/s2.

Q: Is acceleration due to gravity a vector or a scalar? Write its S.I. unit.

Answer: It is a vector quantity and hence has both magnitude and direction. The SI unit is
m/s2.