Mechanics I

Lecture M13
The Resultant Gravitational Force Acting on a Particle
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 2

• Example 1.

◦ Particles P , Q and R are located at the points

r P/O = h6 m, 0, 0i, r Q/O = h0, 3 m, 0i and r R/O = h0, −3 m, 0i

with respect to the origin O of a coordinate system as indicated in diagram given below.

O P

R
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 3

• Example 1 (continued).

◦ The position of particle P relative to particle Q is

r P/Q = r P/O − r Q/O = h6 m, −3 m, 0i,

from which it follows that the distance between the particles is

q √
kr P/Qk = (6 m)2 + (−3 m)2 = 3 5 m.

◦ Therefore, the unit vector in the direction of particle P from particle Q is

1 2 −1
r̂ P/Q = √ h6 m, −3 m, 0i = h √ , √ , 0i.
3 5m 5 5
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 4

• Example 1 (continued).

◦ The position of particle P relative to particle R is

r P/R = r P/O − r R/O = h6 m, 3 m, 0i,

from which it follows that the distance between the particles is

q √
kr P/R k = (6 m)2 + (3 m)2 = 3 5 m.

◦ Therefore, the unit vector in the direction of particle P from particle R is

1 2 1
r̂ P/R = √ h6 m, 3 m, 0i = h √ , √ , 0i.
3 5m 5 5
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 5

• Example 1 (continued).

◦ If particle P has mass mP = 4 kg, particle Q has mass mQ = 15 kg and particle R has mass mR = 15 kg, then the
gravitational force acting on particle P due to particle Q is
! " #
r̂ P/Q 1 2 −1
F gP/Q = −GmP mQ = −G (4 kg) (15 kg) √ 2 h √ , √ , 0i
kr P/Qk2 5 5


3 5m
−8 4
= G h √ kg2/m2 , √ kg2/m2 , 0 i
3 5 3 5
and the gravitational force acting on particle P due to particle R is
! " #
r̂ P/R 1 2 1
F gP/R = −GmP mR = −G (4 kg) (15 kg) √ 2 h √ , √ , 0i
kr P/R k2 5 5


3 5m
−8 −4
= G h √ kg2/m2 , √ kg2/m2 , 0 i.
3 5 3 5
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 6

• Example 1 (continued).

Q r̂ P/Q

F gP/Q

O P
F gP/R

R r̂ P/R
APPM1028A/1029A — Mechanics I 7

• Example 1 (continued).

◦ Therefore, the resultant gravitational force acting on particle P is

−8 4 −8 −4
F gP = F gP/Q + F gP/R = G h √ kg2 /m2 , √ kg2 /m2 , 0 i + G h √ kg2 /m2, √ kg2 /m2, 0 i
3 5 3 5 3 5 3 5
−16
= G h √ kg2 /m2 , 0, 0 i
3 5
as indicated in the diagram given below.

F gP/Q
F gP
P
F gP/R