Gravitation

A story is sometimes told to the effect that Newton was led to his law of Universal
Gravitation by the thought that the centripetal force helding the moon in its orbit might be
the same gravitational force as pulls an apple to the ground but diminished in strength.

Fe = mg ....... (1) Fe = force on the apple near earth’s surface

2
Fm = mv / rm .....(2) Fm = force on the apple in the moon’s orbit
g = 9.81 N/kg ( on the earth’s surface )
m = mass of the apple
v = speed of the moon = 1020 m/s
rm = radius of the moon’s orbit
8
= 3.84 x 10 m
6
re = radius of the earth = 6.38 x 10 m
T = period of the moon’s orbit = 27.3 days

Law of Universal Gravitation

a) It states that each particle in the universe attracts evergy other particle with a force
which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of their distance apart.

2
F  m1m2 / r G = universal gravitational constant
-11 2 -2
= 6.7 x 10 Nm kg

b) To extend the application of this law from particles to bodies of real size and real
shape. Newton showed that " The gravitational attraction between two spherically
symmetrical bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between their centries. "

2
F = Gm1m2/r

.Equivalence of gravitational mass and inertial mass

Consider a particle A on the earth's surface.

2
F = GMm’/r ( Gravitational law ) M = gravitational mass of the earth
r = radius of the earth
F = mg ( Newton’s law ) m’ = gravitational mass of A
m = inertial mass of A

m & m' appear to be equal experimentally.

Note :
i) In general cases,

2
F = GMm/r

ii) If m takes a circular motion about M, then the gravitational force will contribute the
required centripetal force.

2 2
mg = GMm/r = mv /r ( use this equation when v = constant )
2
= mrw ( use this equation when w = constant )

( g is not equal to 9.8 N/kg since m does not

lie on the earth (M) surface. )