3.

1 Newton's law of universal gravitation

Introduction
1. All objects with mass attract each other with a gravitational force. The magnitude of the
force between any two objects depends on their masses and the distance between the two
objects1.

3.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

Learning Outcomes:
(a) state Newton's law of universal gravitation and use the formulae

1. Newton's Law of universal gravitation.

1
In this topic it is crucial to understand that the “object” will subject to a sphere. The important properties of the sphere are
a) the mass and b)the radius.
Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation states that the gravitational force between two bodies
is directly
proportional to the product of the masses of both bodies and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between the centers of the two bodies.

a)

Gravitational forces are very weak unless it is for objects with enormous mass such as planets
and stars.
b) Gravitational force is a mutual attraction. We attract the Earth with the same force that the
Earth attracts us.
c) Newton's Law of universal gravitation is an example of an inverse square law. The force
decreases in proportional to the square of the distance.
1 1
So when the distance is 2r, the force is F , when the distance is 3r, the force is F
4 9
Example 1.
a) Calculate the gravitational force between a durian and earth, Mass of durian = 2.0 kg, mass of
earth = 5.97x 10 24 kg. Distance between center of durian and center of earth -6.37 x 10 6.m

b) Why is it that the gravitational force of earth causes the durian to be accelerated to earth
but not otherwise ?
Because the mass of durian is very small compared to the mass of earth,thus the
gravitational force is insignificant.

Example 2
A rocket at a launching pad experiences a gravitational force of 4.98 X 105N. What is the
mass of the rocket?
mass of earth = 5.97x 10 24 kg.
Distance between the center of earth and rocket =6.37 x1024m

Example3
Two stars of mass 6.0 x 1032 kg and 9.0 x 1030 kg are 1.4 x 1016 m apart. The net gravitational
force is zero at a point P between the two stars and the distance of this point from the bigger
star is r. What is the distance r?

Figure 6-
Solution :
The gravitational forces acting on mass m at point P due to the two stars are the same.

2. Factors that affect the gravitational force

Based on the figure above explain the factors that affect the gravitatioanal force.

Mass of the object Mass increases, gravitational force

increases

Factors that affect

the gravitatioanal
force.
Distance between the
object Distance increases ,Gravitational
force decreases