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mE
• Cancelling mass we get: gG 2
rE
• Acceleration of gravity at Earth’s surface
depends on mE and rE. Once G was known, the
Earth’s mass was determined.
Applications
• When dealing with objects at Earth’s surface,
we calculate weight by mg. If we want to
consider objects far from Earth’s surface, we
can calculate the acceleration due to gravity
there by including their mass and distance
from Earth’s surface.
• EX: Estimate the effective value of g on the top
of Mt. Everest, 8848m above the Earth’s
surface. What is the accel due to gravity of
objects that freely fall at this altitude?
Example Solution
• Calling the acceleration due to gravity there,
g’, we replace rE with r = 6380 km + 8.8km =
6389 km = 6.389 x 106 m:
mE (6.67x1011 N * m 2 /kg 2 )(5.98x1024 kg)
g G 2 6 2
r (6.389x10 m)
• =9.77m/s2
• Which is a reduction of about 0.3%.
Satellites and “Weightlessness”
• Artificial satellites are put into Earth orbit by
high accelerations to give them a high
tangential speed, v.
• If tangential speed is too fast, the satellite
escapes Earth orbit. If too slow, it accelerates
downward to Earth due to Earth’s
gravitational pull.
• What keeps a satellite ‘up’ is a combination
between its tangential speed and Earth’s aR.
• Satellites moving in an approx circle have an
acceleration of aR = v2/r. This force is caused
by the force of gravity acting on it.
Newton’s laws on Satellites
• For an orbiting satellite, the only force present
is the force due to gravity.
• Using Newton’s Second law: ΣFR=maR, we find
2
mmE v
G 2 m
r r
• Note that r is the sum of Earth’s radius and the
satellite’s height above Earth: r = rE + h.
Geosynchronous Satellites
• A geosynchronous satellite is one that stays
above the same point on the equator of the
Earth. Such are used for purposes like cable
tv, weather forecasting, and communication
relays. Determine (a) the height above Earth’s
surface a satellite must orbit and (b) such a
satellite’s speed.