Newton’s Law of Gravity

1 2
Fg Fg

GM1 M 2
Fg = 2
D
M1 = Mass of object 1 (kgs)
M2 = Mass of object 2 (kgs)
D = Distance between objects (m)
𝐺𝐺 = 6.67 × 10−11 𝑁𝑁𝑚𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘2
 Gravitational Force
 
F = mg
More Specifically,
 
FFrom Earth on an Object = mobject g

Where , g is the acceleration due to the
earth’s gravitational attraction.

It is not only the earth that attracts other objects.

Any object with mass will attract any other object with
mass.
At the surface of
the Earth
 Mm
F =G 2
R
where M is the mass of Earth,
m is the mass of the object
R is the Radius of the Earth

   Mm
But since F = mg with F = G 2
R
 GM
g = 2 (accelerati on due to gravity on the earth)
R
Characteristics of the
Gravitational Force
•The force is always attractive.
•There is a Newton’s third law force pair involved.
•It acts along a line connecting the centers of the
two objects (called a Central Force)
•It is inversely proportional to r2 (called a “one over r
squared” force)
•Experimental measurement show us that it is a
conservative force
POTENTIAL ENERGY
 Choose U = 0 at r = ∞

U = − ∫ F dr
r
∞

GMm
U =−
r
 Escape Speed
If you fire a projectile upward, usually it will slow, stop
momentarily, and return to Earth. There is, however, a certain
minimum initial speed that will cause it to move upward forever,
theoretically coming to rest only at infinity. This minimum initial
speed is called the (Earth) escape speed.
The motion of sattelites
ENERGY IN CIRCULAR ORBITS

GM
K = mv = m
1
2
2 1
2
r
GMm
K=
2r
GMm
U =−
r
GMm
E =U + K = −
2r
KEPLER'S LAWS
1. The Law of Orbits: All planets move in elliptical orbits
having the Sun at one focus.
2. The Law of Areas: A line joining any planet to the Sun
sweeps out equal areas in equal times.
3. The Law of Periods: The square of the period of any
planet about the Sun is proportional to the cube of
the semimajor axis of its orbit.
The Law of Periods
F = ma
GMm
2
= mω r 2

r
2π 
2
GM
=ω = 2 
r 3  T 
( 2 π ) 2
T2 = r3
GM
1. Comet Halley orbits the Sun (mass of
sun 1.99 × 1030 kg) with a period of 76
years and, in 1986, had a distance of
closest approach to the Sun, its perihelion
10
distance Rp, of 8.9 × 10 m.
(a)What is the comet’s farthest distance
from the Sun, which is called its
aphelion distance Ra?
(b)What is the eccentricity e of the orbit
of comet Halley?
2. Figure shows a three-star system at an instant
when the stars are at the vertices of a 45° right
triangle. Find the total gravitational force exerted
on the small star by the two large ones.
3. (a) Find the minimum muzzle speed needed to shoot a shell
straight up to a height above the earth equal to the earth’s
radius 𝑹𝑹𝑬𝑬 . (b) Find the minimum muzzle speed that would
allow a shell to escape from the earth completely. The earth’s
𝟔𝟔
radius is 𝑹𝑹𝑬𝑬 = 𝟔𝟔. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎 and mass is
𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐
𝒎𝒎𝑬𝑬 = 𝟓𝟓. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌.
4. You wish to put a 1000-kg satellite into a circular orbit
300 km above the earth’s surface. (a) What speed,
period, and radial acceleration will it have? (b) How
much work must be done to the satellite to put it in
orbit? (c) How much additional work would have to be
done to make the satellite escape the earth? Given that
𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐
the mass of the earth is 𝟔𝟔. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 and
𝟔𝟔
radius of the earth is 𝟔𝟔. 𝟒𝟒 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎.
5. At what point in an elliptical orbit does a planet move
the fastest? The slowest?
Mechanical energy is conserved as
a planet moves in its orbit. The
planet’s kinetic energy is maximum
when the potential energy is
minimum (that is, most negative),
which occurs when the sun–planet
distance r is a minimum. Hence the
speed is greatest at perihelion.
Similarly, K is minimum when r is
maximum, so the speed is slowest
at aphelion.
6. A satellite of mass 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 is placed in an orbit at a
height of 𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 above the surface of the earth.
Given that the mass of the earth is 𝟔𝟔. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 ×
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 and radius of the earth is 𝟔𝟔. 𝟒𝟒 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔 𝒎𝒎.
(i) For a circular orbit, what is the time period of the
orbital motion?
(ii) Calculate the satellite’s orbital velocity.
(iii) What is the minimum energy input necessary to
place this satellite in orbit?
7. In 2025 Bangladesh hopes to launch a satellite which would
be orbiting the earth into a circular path at an altitude of
𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 . The mass of the satellite is 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌. Given
that the mass of the earth 𝟔𝟔. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 and radius
of the earth 𝟔𝟔. 𝟒𝟒 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔 𝒎𝒎.
(i) What would be the escape speed of the satellite from the
earth surface?
(ii) What will be the orbiting velocity of the satellite?
(iii) How many minutes would the satellite take to orbit the
earth?
(iv) Calculate the satellite’s radial acceleration.
8. The international space station operates at an altitude of
𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 . When final construction is completed, it will have
a weight (measured at the Earth’s surface) of 𝟒𝟒. 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 ×
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔 𝑵𝑵. The mass of the satellite is 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌. Given that
the mass of the earth 𝟓𝟓. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌 and radius of the
earth 𝟔𝟔. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔 𝒎𝒎.
(i) What is the mass of the space station?
(ii) What is its weight when in orbit?
(iii) What must be the space station’s speed if it is
synchronized to rotate with the earth?
9. A playful astronaut releases a bowling ball, of
mass 𝑚𝑚 = 7.20 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘, into circular orbit about Earth
at an altitude h of 350 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘.

(a) What is the mechanical energy E of the ball in

its orbit?
(b) What is the mechanical energy 𝐸𝐸0 of the ball on
the launchpad at Cape Canaveral (before it, the
astronaut, and the spacecraft are launched)? From
there to the orbit, what is the change E in the ball’s
mechanical energy?
10. Three point particles are fixed in position in an xy plane.
Two of them, particle A of mass 6 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 and particle B of mass
12 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔, are shown in Fig. , with a separation of 𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = 0.5 𝑚𝑚
at angle 𝜃𝜃 = 30°. Particle C, with mass 8 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔, is not shown.
The net gravitational force acting on particle A due to
particles B and C is 2.77 × 10−14 𝑁𝑁 at an angle of −163.8°
from the positive direction of the x axis. What are (a) the x
coordinate and (b) the y coordinate of particle C?