1

A recent high precision determination of g has a quoted error of 6 parts in 10^9. Estimate the
increase in height at the Earths surface which gives a change in g equal to this error. If the
dependence of g on geographical latitude at sea level is given by g = 0 (1 + 2 )

Where is the latitude and is a dimensionless constant with a value of 0.0053, estimate the
northward displacement near latitude 45 which gives a change in g equal to the quoted error.

Sol) we need to know the acceleration due to gravity, varies with height above the earths surface.
Taking the earth to be a spherically symmetric mass M ,

g=GM/r^2

where r is the distance from the centre, assuming that r is greater than the earths radius.
Differentiating both sides gives

dg=-2GM/r^3 dr

dg/g = -2 dr/r

which, apart from the sign , we recognize as the familiar result from error analysis. Thus the
fractional change in r is half the fractional change in g, so the change in r required to achieve a
fractional change of 6*10^-9 in g must be

1/2*6*10^-9*6.4*10^6 m (earths radius as 6400km) = 0.019m

A change in height of 19mm would cause a change in g of 6parts in 10^9

To consider the effect of latitude, we differentiate the expression g, with respect to the latitude to
obtain

dg/d=20 , thus = g/(20 )

taking g/g = 6*10^-9 , = 0.0053 , =45 ,

= 1.13 * 10^-6 radians, multiplying this by the earths radius of 6.4*10^6m gives a
distance on the earths surface of about 7m.