Chapter Notes: Gravitation

What is Gravitation?
Gravitation is the universal phenomenon where every object in the universe
attracts every other object. This attractive force between any two objects is referred
to as the "force of gravitation." Although the gravitational force is weak and
typically requires substantial masses to be observed, it acts over long distances.

Gravitation and Gravity

Centripetal Force
Centripetal force is like glue that keeps things moving in a circle. Imagine a
merry-go-round: as it spins faster, it's harder to hold on. This force pulls
things towards the center to keep them in the circular path. It balances with
another force, making things stay put.

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 Merry Go Round

When we say "centripetal," we mean moving toward the center. So,

centripetal force guides objects along a circular path and holds them
there. Its strength depends on how fast the object moves, how far it is
from the center, and how heavy it is.

There's a similar-sounding force called centrifugal force, but it actually

makes things want to fly off in a straight line from the circle's center. People
sometimes mix up centripetal and centrifugal forces.
Also, the speed of the object stays the same and goes sideways from the center.
We call this "tangential velocity."

Universal Law of Gravitation

According to Newton’s law of gravitation, the force of gravitational
attraction between two objects is directly proportional to the
product of their masses and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them.

Try yourself:What is the formula for the force of gravitational attraction between
two objects?

Explanation

Fg = Gm1m2/r2

G is the gravitational constant with the value of 6.67 ×10−11 Nm2/kg2, m1 is the
mass of a body, m2 is the mass of other body, r is the distance between the two
bodies.

If M and m be masses of two objects separated by a distance d, the gravitational

force of attraction between them is given by: F = G x (m1 x m2) / d2

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 where G is a constant,
known as the universal constant of gravitation.

The universal constant of gravitation G is numerically equal to the force of

attraction between two objects of unit mass each separated by unit distance.
The value of G is 6.673 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2.
G is called a universal constant because its value does not depend on the
nature of the intervening medium or temperature or any other physical
variable.
As the value of G is extremely small, the gravitational force between ordinary
terrestrial objects is so small that it cannot be detected. However, the force of
attraction acting on an object due to Earth, the force of attraction between
Earth and the moon, and the force experienced by planets due to the
gravitational attraction of Sun can be easily felt and measured.

Example 1: Suppose we have two objects: Object A with a mass of 5

kilograms and Object B with a mass of 10 kilograms. The distance
between the centers of these objects is 2 meters. We'll assume the
gravitational constant, G, to be approximately 6.674 × 10-11 N m2/kg2.

Solution:

Using the Universal Law of Gravitation, we can calculate the gravitational

force between these objects:

F = (G * (m1 * m2)) / r2

F = (6.674 × 10-11 N m2/kg2 * (5 kg * 10 kg)) / (2 m)2

F = (6.674 × 10-11 N m2/kg2 * 50 kg2) / 4 m2

F = (6.674 × 10-11 N m2) / 4

F ≈ 1.6685 × 10-11 N

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Therefore, the gravitational force between Object A and Object B is approximately
1.6685 × 10-11 Newtons.

Try yourself:Which of the following pairs of objects will experience the greatest
gravitational force?

To determine which pair of objects experiences the greatest gravitational force, we

use Newton’s law of gravitation:

F = (G x m1 x m2) / d2

where:

F is the gravitational force,

G is the gravitational constant,
m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects,
d is the distance between the objects.

Since G is constant, we only need to evaluate (m1 x m2) / d2 for each pair to find
which produces the greatest gravitational force.

Calculations for Each Pair:

a) Object R (150 kg) and Object S (300 kg), d = 4 meters

(150 x 300) / 42 = 45000 / 16 = 2812.5

b) Object P (50 kg) and Object Q (100 kg), d = 2 meters

(50 x 100) / 22 = 5000 / 4 = 1250

c) Object M (200 kg) and Object N (400 kg), d = 3 meters

(200 x 400) / 32 = 80000 / 9 ≈ 8888.9

d) Object X (100 kg) and Object Y (200 kg), d = 1 meter

(100 x 200) / 12 = 20000 / 1 = 20000

Answer:

The pair of objects X and Y (100 kg and 200 kg, separated by 1 meter)
will experience the greatest gravitational force (Option d).

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Importance Of The Universal Law Of Gravitation
The universal law of gravitation successfully explained several
phenomena which were believed to be unconnected:

The force that binds us to the Earth

The motion of the moon around the Earth
The motion of planets around the Sun
The tides due to the moon and the Sun

Free Fall or Gravity

The force of gravitational attraction exerted by the earth on an object is called
the “force of gravity’'. Force of gravity acting on an object of mass m situated
on Earth’s surface or near it is given by

where M = mass of earth and R = radius of Earth.

The acceleration produced in a freely falling object on account of the force of
gravity is known as the acceleration due to gravity. It is denoted by the symbol
‘g’.

Gravitation Formula

To Calculate the Value of g

The value of acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Earth is given by

The mean value of g on the surface of Earth is found to be 9.8 ms-2.

Here's how the value of g is calculated.

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 Calculation of
acceleration due to gravity

The motion of Objects under the influence of Gravitational

Force of the Earth
The value of g varies from place to place. On the surface of the earth value of g is
more at the poles than at the equator. Again value of g decreases as one goes away
and away from the earth.

Free Fall Motion

When an object falls towards the earth under the force of gravity alone, we say
that the object is in free fall. A freely falling object experiences a constant
acceleration of g (=9.8ms-2) during its downward motion. However, if an

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 object is projected vertically upward with a certain velocity, its velocity goes on
decreasing due to gravity, till it comes to rest and then starts falling vertically
downward under gravity.
The three equations of motion viz, (i) v = u + at, (ii) s = ut + 1/2 at2, and (iii)
v2 - u2 = 2as are true for motion of objects under gravity. For free fall, the
value of acceleration a = g = 9.8ms-2.
If an object is just let fall from a height then in that case u = 0 and a = +g =
+9.8ms-2.
If an object is projected vertically upwards with an initial velocity u, then a = -
g = -9.8ms-2 and the object will go to a maximum height h where its final

velocity becomes zero (i.e. v = 0). In such a case

Which of the following statements is true according to the universal law of

gravitation?

- According to the universal law of gravitation, the force of attraction between two
objects depends on their masses and the distance between them.
- The value of the universal constant of gravitation, G, does not depend on the
nature of the intervening medium or any other physical variable.
- The gravitational force between ordinary terrestrial objects is so small that it
cannot be detected, but it can be easily felt and measured for larger celestial bodies.
- The value of the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Earth is
approximately 9.8 m/s^2, not the universal constant of gravitation.

Mass
The mass of an object is a measure of its inertia. The mass of an object is
constant and does not change from place to place.

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 Mass and Weight

Weight
The weight of an object is the force with which it is attracted towards the earth.
Weight W of an object of mass m will be W = mg. Weight is a force acting
vertically downwards. It means that it is a vector.
As the weight of an object is a force, its SI unit is Newton (N).
An object of mass m = 1 kg has thus a weight of W = 1 x 9.8 = 9.8 N.
At a given place weight of an object is directly proportional to its mass t.e.,
(at a given place). Due to this reason at a given place, we may use the
weight of an object as a measure of its mass.

Weight of Object on the Moon

Mass of an object remains the same everywhere but weight of an object
changes from place to place. For an object of mass m weight W is dependent
on value of g.
Force of gravity due to moon is 1/6th of the force of gravity due to earth.

Hence
Due to this very reason weight of an object on moon will be 1/6th of its weight
on the earth.

Question: Which of the following statements about weight is true?

Explanation

Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object.

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Explanation: Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity, which is
dependent on the mass of the object and the gravitational force acting upon it.
Weight is not the same as mass, which is a measure of the amount of matter in an
object. While mass remains constant regardless of location, weight can vary
depending on the strength of the gravitational force acting on the object. For
example, an object will weigh less on the moon than it does on Earth due to the
moon's weaker gravitational force.

Thrust and Pressure

The normal force acting on a surface, due to the weight of an object
placed on the surface, is called ‘thrust’. As thrust is a sort of force hence
its SI unit is “a newton” (N).

Thrust

The thrust on unit surface area is called pressure.

Pressure
Thus, pressure on a given object is the normal force acting on its surface per
unit surface area.
SI unit of pressure is N m-2 but it is also called pascal and denoted by symbol
Pa.
∴ 1 pascal (1 Pa) = 1 N m-2
Same force acting on a smaller area exerts a larger pressure. It is due to this
reason that a nail or a pin has a pointed tip and knives have sharp edges.
Given force acting on a larger area exerts a smaller pressure. It is due to this
reason that foundations of houses are made broad, base of dams is made
broad, sleepers are laid below the railway line and so on.

Pressure in Fluids
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 Fluid is that state of matter which can flow. All liquids and gases are
fluids.

Pressure in Fluids

As fluids have weight, they exert pressure on the base and the walls of the
container in which they are kept.
In a fluid, pressure applied at any one place is transmitted equally in all
directions.

Buoyancy
Whenever an object is immersed in a fluid, it experiences a force in the
vertically upward direction due to that fluid. This force due to a fluid acting in
upward direction is called ‘force of buoyancy’ or ‘buoyant force or up thrust.

Buoyancy

Magnitude of force of buoyancy acting on an object depends upon

(i) the volume of an object immersed into the fluid, and
(ii) the density of the fluid. Due to force of buoyancy the net weight of an
object becomes less than its normal weight.

What is the SI unit of weight?

- The SI unit of weight is Newton (N).

- Weight is a force and is measured in Newtons.
- The weight of an object is the force with which it is attracted towards the Earth.
- The formula to calculate weight is W = mg, where W is the weight, m is the mass,
and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
- The weight of an object can be different on different celestial bodies, but the SI
unit remains the same.

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Why Objects Float Or Sink When Placed On The Surface Of
Water?
The ability of an object to float or sink when placed on the surface of
water is determined by its density and the density of the water.
Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume.

Floating and Sinking on Surface of WaterWhen

an object is placed in water, it experiences two main forces: buoyancy
and gravity.

Buoyancy is the upward force exerted on an object immersed in a fluid (in

this case, water). It is caused by the difference in pressure between the top and
bottom of the object. The greater the volume of water displaced by the object,
the greater the buoyant force. According to Archimedes' principle, an object
will experience an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the water it
displaces. If the buoyant force is greater than the object's weight, it will float. If
the buoyant force is less than the object's weight, it will sink.
Gravity, on the other hand, is the downward force pulling the object toward
the center of the Earth. The weight of the object depends on its mass and the
acceleration due to gravity. If the weight of the object is greater than the
buoyant force, it will sink. If the weight is less than the buoyant force, it will
float.

In summary, whether an object floats or sinks in water depends on the comparison

between its weight and the buoyant force exerted by the water. If the object's
weight is greater, it will sink. If the buoyant force is greater, it will float.

Archimedes’ Principle
A Greek scientist Archimedes discovered a principle regarding buoyant
force (or the loss in weight of an object when immersed in a fluid).

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 Archimedes' Principle

According to Archimedes’ principle “whenever an object is immersed fully or

partially in a fluid, it experiences an upward force that is equal to the weight of
the fluid displaced by it”.
Alternately, according to Archimedes’ principle “there is always a loss
(decrease) in weight of an object when it is immersed fully or partially in a
fluid and the loss in weight is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the
immersed part of given object”.
Archimedes’ principle has many applications. Design of ships, submarines,
lactometer and hydrometer are some of the applications of Archimedes’
principle.

Try yourself:Archimedes' principle states that:

Explanation

The buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the
object

Explanation: Archimedes' principle states that when an object is submerged in a

fluid, it experiences an upward buoyant force that is equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by the object. This principle is derived from the fact that pressure in a
fluid increases with depth. When an object is submerged in a fluid, the pressure on
the bottom surface of the object is greater than the pressure on the top surface,
creating a net upward force. This buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid
that was displaced by the object, which can be determined by multiplying the
volume of the fluid displaced by the object by the density of the fluid and the
acceleration due to gravity (Buoyant force = Volume x Density x Gravity).

Relative Density (Old Syllabus)

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Density of a substance is defined as its mass per unit volume. Its SI unit is kg
m-3. However, sometimes unit g cm-3 is also used for density. It is found that 1
g cm-3 = 1000 kg m-3.
Relative density of a substance is the ratio of its density to the density of water.

Relative density is a unit-less quantity.

We know that an iron nail immersed in water sinks but a wooden piece
remains floating on water. It is found that objects having density less than that
of the liquid, in which they are immersed, float on the surface of fluid. On the
other hand, if density of the object is more than the density of the fluid in
which it is immersed then the object will sink in that fluid.

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