GRAVITATION NEET ENTHU-1

1. Two particles of equal mass go round a circle of radius R under the action of their mutual gravitational
attraction. The speed of each particle is
1 1 Gm
(a) v  (b) v 
2R Gm 2R

1 Gm 4 Gm
(c) v  (d) v 
2 R R
2. The distance of the centres of moon and earth is D. The mass of earth is 81 times the mass of the moon.
At what distance from the centre of the earth, the gravitational force will be zero
D 2D
(a) (b)
2 3
4D 9D
(c) (d)
3 10
3. Mass M is divided into two parts xM and (1  x) M . For a given separation, the value of x for which the
gravitational attraction between the two pieces becomes maximum is

1 3
(a) (b)
2 5
(c) 1 (d) 2
4. Two sphere of mass m and M are situated in air and the gravitational force between them is F. The
space around the masses is now filled with a liquid of specific gravity 3. The gravitational force will now
be
F
(a) F (b)
3
F
(c) (d) 3 F
9
5. If the change in the value of ‘g’ at a height h above the surface of the earth is the same as at a depth x
below it, then (both x and h being much smaller than the radius of the earth)
(a) x  h (b) x  2h
h
(c) x  (d) x  h2
2
6. The time period of a simple pendulum on a freely moving artificial satellite is
(a) Zero (b) 2 sec
(c) 3 sec (d) Infinite
7. Two planets have the same average density but their radii are R1 and R 2 . If acceleration due to gravity
on these planets be g1 and g 2 respectively, then
g1 R g1 R2
(a)  1 (b) 
g2 R2 g2 R1

g1 R12 g1 R13
(c)  (d) 
g 2 R 22 g 2 R 23
8. The value of ‘g’ at a particular point is 9.8 m / s 2 . Suppose the earth suddenly shrinks uniformly to half
its present size without losing any mass. The value of ‘g’ at the same point (assuming that the distance
of the point from the centre of earth does not shrink) will now be

(a) 4.9 m / sec 2 (b) 3.1 m / sec 2

(c) 9.8 m / sec 2 (d) 19.6 m / sec 2
9. The radii of two planets are respectively R1 and R 2 and their densities are respectively 1 and  2 . The
ratio of the accelerations due to gravity at their surfaces is

1 2
(a) g1 : g2  : (b) g1 : g2  R1 R2 : 1 2
R12 R22
(c) g1 : g2  R1 2 : R2 1 (d) g1 : g2  R1 1 : R2 2

10. The mass of the earth is 81 times that of the moon and the radius of the earth is 3.5 times that of the
moon. The ratio of the acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the moon to that at the surface of
the earth is
(a) 0.15 (b) 0.04
(c) 1 (d) 6
1
11. The depth d at which the value of acceleration due to gravity becomes times the value at the surface,
n
is [R = radius of the earth]
n 1 
(b) R 
R
(a) 
n  n 

(d) R 
R n 
(c) 
n2  1 
n
12. If the radius of the earth shrinks by 1.5% (mass remaining same), then the value of acceleration due to
gravity changes by
(a) 1% (b) 2%
(c) 3% (d) 4%
13. The density of a newly discovered planet is twice that of earth. The acceleration due to gravity at the
surface of the planet is equal to that at the surface of the earth. If the radius of the earth is R, the radius
of the planet would be

(a) 2 R (b) 4 R
1 1
(c) R (d) R
4 2

14. The change in potential energy, when a body of mass m is raised to a height nR from the earth's surface
is (R = Radius of earth)
n
(a) mgR (b) nmgR
n 1
n2 n
(c) mgR (d) mgR
n 1
2
n 1
15. The masses and radii of the earth and moon are M1 , R1 and M 2 , R2 respectively. Their centres are
distance d apart. The minimum velocity with which a particle of mass m should be projected from a
point midway between their centres so that it escapes to infinity is
G 2G
(a) 2 (M 1  M 2 ) (b) 2 (M 1  M 2 )
d d

Gm Gm(M1  M 2 )
(c) 2 (M 1  M 2 ) (d) 2
d d (R1  R2 )

16. Four particles each of mass M, are located at the vertices of a square with side L. The gravitational
potential due to this at the centre of the square is
GM GM
(a)  32 (b)  64
L L2
GM
(c) Zero (d) 32
L
17. Periodic time of a satellite revolving above Earth’s surface at a height equal to R, radius of Earth, is
[g is acceleration due to gravity at Earth’s surface]

2R R
(a) 2 (b) 4 2
g g

R R
(c) 2 (d) 8
g g

18. Given radius of Earth ‘R’ and length of a day ‘T’ the height of a geostationary satellite is [G–Gravitational
Constant, M–Mass of Earth]
1/3
 4 2 GM  4GM
1/3
(a) 
 T2 
 (b)  2  R
   R 
1/3 1/3
 GMT 2   GMT 2 
(c)   R (d)   R
 4 2   4 2 
   
19. Two planets move around the sun. The periodic times and the mean radii of the orbits are T1 , T2 and
r1 , r2 respectively. The ratio T1 / T2 is equal to
(a) (r1 / r2 )1 / 2 (b) r1 / r2
(c) (r1 / r2 )2 (d) (r1 / r2 )3 / 2
20. Kepler's second law regarding constancy of aerial velocity of a planet is a consequence of the law of
conservation of

(a) Energy (b) Angular momentum

(c) Linear momentum (d) None of these
21. The largest and the shortest distance of the earth from the sun are r1 and r2 , its distance from the sun
when it is at the perpendicular to the major axis of the orbit drawn from the sun

r1  r2 r1r2
(a) (b)
4 r1  r2
2r1r2 r1  r2
(c) (d)
r1  r2 3
22. The maximum and minimum distances of a comet from the sun are 8  10 12 m and 1.6  10 12 m . If its
velocity when nearest to the sun is 60 m/s, what will be its velocity in m/s when it is farthest

(a) 12 (b) 60
(c) 112 (d) 6
23. A body revolved around the sun 27 times faster then the earth what is the ratio of their radii
(a) 1/3 (b) 1/9
(c) 1/27 (d) 1/4
24. The period of moon’s rotation around the earth is nearly 29 days. If moon’s mass were 2 fold, its present
value and all other things remained unchanged, the period of moon’s rotation would be nearly
(a) 29 2 days (b) 29/ 2 days
(c) 29 × 2 days (d) 29 days
25. Imagine a light planet revolving around a very massive star in a circular orbit of radius R with a period
5

of revolution T. If the gravitational force of attraction between planet and star is proportional to R 2 ,
then T 2 is proportional to

(a) R 3 (b) R 7 / 2
(c) R 5 / 2 (d) R 3 / 2
26. The magnitudes of the gravitational force at distances r1 and r2 from the centre of a uniform sphere of
radius R and mass M are F1 and F2 respectively. Then
F1 r1
(a)  if r1  R and r2  R
F2 r2

F1 r12
(b)  if r1  R and r2  R
F2 r22
F1 r1
(c)  if r1  R and r2  R
F2 r2

F1 r22
(d)  if r1  R and r2  R
F2 r12
27. A satellite S is moving in an elliptical orbit around the earth. The mass of the satellite is very small
compared to the mass of earth
(a) The acceleration of S is always directed towards the centre of the earth
(b) The angular momentum of S about the centre of the earth changes in direction but its magnitude
remains constant
(c) The total mechanical energy of S varies periodically with time
(d) The linear momentum of S remains constant in magnitude
28. A mass M is split into two parts, m and (M–m), which are then separated by a certain distance. What
ratio of m/M maximizes the gravitational force between the two parts

(a) 1/3 (b) 1/2

(c) 1/4 (d) 1/5
29. Suppose the gravitational force varies inversely as the n th power of distance. Then the time period of
a planet in circular orbit of radius R around the sun will be proportional to
 n 1   n 1 
   
(a) R 2 
(b) R 2 
  n2 
 
(c) Rn (d) R 2 
30. If the radius of the earth were to shrink by 1% its mass remaining the same, the acceleration due to
gravity on the earth's surface would

(a) Decrease by 2% (b) Remain unchanged

(c) Increase by 2% (d) Increase by 1%
31. The radius and mass of earth are increased by 0.5%. Which of the following statements are true at the
surface of the earth
(a) g will increase
(b) g will decrease
(c) Escape velocity will remain unchanged
(d) Potential energy will remain unchanged
32. In order to make the effective acceleration due to gravity equal to zero at the equator, the angular
velocity of rotation of the earth about its axis should be (g  10 ms 2 and radius of earth is 6400 kms)

1
(a) 0 rad sec 1 (b) rad sec 1
800
1 1
(c) rad sec 1 (d) rad sec 1
80 8
33. A simple pendulum has a time period T1 when on the earth’s surface and T2 when taken to a height R
above the earth’s surface, where R is the radius of the earth. The value of T2 / T1 is
(a) 1 (b) 2
(c) 4 (d) 2
34. A body of mass m is taken from earth surface to the height h equal to radius of earth, the increase in
potential energy will be
1
(a) mgR (b) mgR
2
1
(c) 2 mgR (d) mgR
4
35. An artificial satellite moving in a circular orbit around the earth has a total (kinetic + potential) energy
E0 . Its potential energy is
(a)  E0 (b) 1.5 E0
(c) 2 E0 (d) E0
36. A rocket of mass M is launched vertically from the surface of the earth with an initial speed V. Assuming
the radius of the earth to be R and negligible air resistance, the maximum height attained by the rocket
above the surface of the earth is
(a) R / 
(b) R  
gR gR
2
 1 2
 1
 2V   2V 

(c) R / 
(d) R  
2 gR 2 gR
2
 1 2
 1
 V   V 
37. A solid sphere of uniform Y
density and radius 4
units is located with its
centre at the origin O of A B
X
coordinates. Two O

spheres of equal radii 1

unit with their centres at Z
A(– 2, 0, 0) and B(2, 0, 0) respectively are taken out of the solid leaving behind spherical cavities as
shown in figure
(a) The gravitational force due to this object at the origin is zero
(b) The gravitational force at the point B (2, 0, 0) is zero
(c) The gravitational potential is the same at all points of the circle y 2  z 2  36
(d) The gravitational potential is the same at all points on the circle y 2  z 2  4
38. Two bodies of masses m1 and m 2 are initially at rest at infinite distance apart. They are then allowed to
move towards each other under mutual gravitational attraction. Their relative velocity of approach at
a separation distance r between them is
1/2 1/2
(m  m )
(a) 2G 1 2  (b)  (m1  m 2 
2G
 r   r 
1/2
 
1/2
(d)  m1m 2 
r 2G
(c)  
 2G(m1m 2 )   r 
39. A projectile is projected with velocity kv e in vertically upward direction from the ground into the space.
( v e is escape velocity and k  1) . If air resistance is considered to be negligible then the maximum height
from the centre of earth to which it can go, will be : (R = radius of earth)
R R
(a) (b)
k2 1 k 2 1
R R
(c) (d)
1k2 k 1
40. A satellite is launched into a circular orbit of radius R around the earth. A second satellite is launched
into an orbit of radius (1.01)R. The period of the second satellite is larger than that of the first one by
approximately
(a) 0.5% (b) 1.0%
(c) 1.5% (d) 3.0%
41. If the distance between the earth and the sun becomes half its present value, the number of days in a
year would have been
(a) 64.5 (b) 129
(c) 182.5 (d) 730
42. A geostationary satellite orbits around the earth in a circular orbit of radius 36000 km. Then, the time
period of a satellite orbiting a few hundred kilometres above the earth’s surface (REarth  6400 km ) will
approximately be
(a) 1/2 h (b) 1 h
(c) 2 h (d) 4 h