GENERAL PHYSICS 1

Gravitation and Gravitational Potential Energy

 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

This module contains three ( 3 ) lessons which are:

Lesson 1:Universal Gravitation
Lesson 2:Gravitational Field and Gravitational Potential Energy
Lesson 3:Orbits and Kepler’s Law of Planetary Motion
 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Learning Objectives:
1. State Newton’s law of universal gravitation;
2. Solve problems involving Newton’s law of gravitation, gravitational
force, weight and acceleration due to gravity;
3. Discuss the physical significance of gravitational fields;
4. Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in physics problems
5. Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion; and
6. For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary motion to
Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Centripetal Acceleration.
 NEWTON’S LAW OF UNIVERSAL
GRAVITATION
Learning Objectives:
1. State Newton’s law of universal gravitation; and
2. Solve problems involving Newton’s law of gravitation, gravitational
force, weight and acceleration due to gravity
 Activity 1. Match Me! Direction: Match the word found in column B to i
description found in column A. Choose the letter of the correct answer an
write it on your notebook

C
D
B

A
Activity 2. Newton’s Gravitation Discovery
Instruction: Answer the question about the picture below in 2-3 sentences.
Write your answer on your activity notebook or on a separate sheet of paper.

Question: Why is it that the apple never drops sideways or upwards or any
other direction except perpendicular to the ground? Answer:
_____________________________________________________________
___
 ALL MATTERS ARE AFFECTED BY
GRAVITY
Gravity, also called gravitation, in mechanics, is the universal
force of attraction acting between all matters; an invisible force
that pulls the objects toward each other.
Earth's gravity is what keeps you on the ground and what makes
things fall. It is responsible for a ball you throw in the air to
come down, for a spoon you drop on the floor, for a car to coast
downhill even when you are not stepping on a gas and many
more circumstances.
Earth's gravity comes from all its mass. All its mass
makes a combined gravitational pull on all the mass in
your body. That's what gives you weight. On Earth all
bodies have a weight, or downward force of gravity,
proportional to their mass, which Earth’s mass exerts on
them. Gravity is measured by the acceleration that gives
to freely falling objects. At Earth’s surface the
acceleration due to gravity is about 9.8 m/s2
Every object that has mass exerts a gravitational pull, or
force, on every other mass. The size of the pull depends
on the masses of the objects. In fact, you exert a
gravitational force on the people around you.
Gravity is universal. And most gravitational forces
are so minimal to be noticed. These are only
recognizable as the masses of objects become large .
Newton proved that the force that acts on all objects that
causes it to fall toward the ground is the same force that
causes the moon to fall around or orbit the Earth. This
universal force also acts between the Earth and the Sun,
or any other star and its satellites. Even the orbiting of the
sun to our galaxy and the binding of galaxies into clusters
are all because of the gravitational force. Therefore,
gravitation is the force that forms the Universe.
 THE UNIVERSALITY OF
GRAVITATION
gravitational interactions do not simply exist between the earth and other
objects; and not simply between the sun and other planets. Gravitational
interactions exist between all objects in the universe.
Newton's law of universal gravitation is about the universality of gravity,
which extends gravity beyond Earth. Newton's place in the Gravity Hall of
Fame is not due to his discovery of gravity, but rather due to his discovery
that gravitation is universal. ALL objects attract each other with a force of
gravitational attraction. Gravity is universal.
Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that every point mass in the universe attracts
every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses
and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
 Newton's conclusion about the magnitude of gravitational forces is
summarized symbolically as

Where Fg represents the force of gravity between two objects

∝ means " proportional to"

m1 represents the mass of object 1

m2 represents the mass of object 2

d represents the distance separating the object's centers

Since the gravitational force is directly proportional to the
mass of both interacting objects, more massive objects
will attract each other with a greater gravitational force. If
the mass of one of the objects is doubled, then the force
of gravity between them is doubled. If the mass of one of
the objects is tripled, then the force of gravity between
them is tripled. If the mass of both objects is doubled,
then the force of gravity between them is quadrupled; and
so on. Thus, gravitational force increases as mass of
either object increases.
Gravitational force is directly proportional to
the product of masses of two objects
Since gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the
separation distance between the two interacting objects, more
separation distance will result in weaker gravitational forces. So as
two objects are separated from each other, the force of gravitational
attraction between them also decreases. If the separation distance
between two objects is doubled (increased by a factor of 2), then the
force of gravitational attraction is decreased by a factor of 4 (2
raised to the second power). If the separation distance between any
two objects is tripled (increased by a factor of 3), then the force of
gravitational attraction is decreased by a factor of 9 (3 raised to the
second power). Thus, gravitational force decreases as distance of two
objects increases.
Gravitational force is inversely proportional to the
square of distance between the objects.

d
Another means of representing the proportionalities is to express the
relationships in the form of an equation using a constant of
proportionality. This equation is shown below.
 The constant of proportionality (G) in the above equation is known
as the universal gravitation constant. The precise value of G was
determined experimentally by Henry Cavendish in the century after
Newton's death.
The value of G is found to be G = 6.67 x N. m2/

When the units on G are substituted into the equation above and multiplied by
m1• m2 units and divided by units, the result will be Newtons - the unit of
force.
 Sample Problem
Determine the force of gravitational attraction between the earth (m = 5.98 x 1024
kg) and a 70-kg physics student if the student is standing at sea level, a distance of
6.38 x 106 m from earth's center.
The solution of the problem involves substituting known values of G (6.67 x 10- 11 N
m2/kg2), m1 (5.98 x 1024 kg), m2 (70 kg) and d (6.38 x 106 m) into the universal
gravitation equation and solving for Fg. The solution is as follows:
Given:
G= 6.67 x 10-11 N m2/kg2
Mass of the earth= 5.98 x 1024 kg Fg= ?
Mass of physics student= 70 kg
Distance from earth’s center = 6.38 x 106 m

𝐹 𝐺𝑚1𝑚2 g = 𝑟2
 −11𝑁𝑚2 24
𝐹g= (6.67𝑥10 )(5.98𝑥10 𝑘g)(70𝑘g )
𝐾g2
(6.38×106𝑚)2

−11𝑁𝑚2
(6.67𝑥10 𝐾g2)(4.186𝑥10 26𝐾g ) 2
𝐹g = 4.07𝑥1013𝑚2
2.79𝑥1016 𝑁
𝐹g = 4.07𝑥1013

𝐹g = 685.50 N
Solve the gravitational force of the following problem. Write the given values, formula
and your solution on the answer sheets provided. Box your final answer. (Note: Use a
scientific calculator)
1. Determine the force of gravitational attraction between the earth
(5.98 x kg) and a 100 kg football player, when he is at a distance of 6.38 x m from
earth’s center.
 WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
Direction. Identify the following.

______1. The force that holds all objects on Earth.

______2. The force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward
its center. The force of gravity keeps all the planets in orbit around the sun.
______3. This law states that every point mass in the universe attracts
every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the
product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between them.
 GRAVITATIONAL FIELD AND
GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY
Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the physical significance of gravitational fields; and
2. Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in physics
Problems.
Direction. Identify the following questions.
________________1. The law which states that every object in the
universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly
proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between them.
________________2. The value of the gravitational constant, G.
 GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
Newton's Law of Gravitation states that the gravitational force between two point
masses 𝑀 and separated by a distance r acts along the line joining their centers and is
proportional to the masses and inversely proportional to the square of their separations.

𝐹∝𝑀𝑚/𝒓𝟐
In the SI unit system, the constant of proportionality is ,
the gravitational constant, which has a value of 6.67×N
/k. Newton's Law of Gravitation becomes:
• F=GMm
𝒓𝟐
We can restate the Newton’s law of gravitation in a useful way using the
concept of gravitational field. Instead of calculating the interaction of
force between two masses by using equation above, eq 1, we consider a
mass that creates a gravitational field in the space around us as shown in
figure 1. But what is gravitational field, and how do we know when one is
present?

Gravitational field is an imaginary concept

in which every object has a region of space
around it in which every other objects
experience an attractive force. This
gravitational field is represented by arrows
or field lines.
The gravitational field is the gravitational force per unit mass that would
be exerted on a small mass at that point. It is a vector field, and points in
the direction of the force that the mass would feel. For a point particle of
mass 𝑀, the magnitude of the resultant gravitational field strength 𝑔, at
distance r from 𝑀, is

•g=GM
𝒓𝟐
where G = the gravitational constant = 6.67×N /k
M = the mass of the attracting body
r = the distance between their center
The gravitational force acting on a mass , which is also described as its weight, is:

𝐹=𝑚𝑔
At the surface of the Earth, 𝑔 has a magnitude of 𝑀 = 9.81 m/s2, where RE is the radius of the Earth.
The gravitational field is the gravitational force exerted per unit mass on a small
mass at a point in the field. Like force, it is a vector quantity: a point mass 𝑀 at
the origin produces the gravitational field

where is the position relative to the origin and where =| |. Its magnitude is

and (due to the minus sign) at each point 𝑔 is directed opposite to , i.e. towards
the central mass.
This means that a small test mass at position will experience the force
F
due to the presence of the mass 𝑀. While this force depends on m, the ratio 𝑔=
F/m, i.e. the gravitational field at , is independent of .
the gravitational force on an extended object can be treated as if acting at a
single point, its center of gravity. If the gravitational field is uniform
across the object this is the same as its center of mass.
This is of course simple: we know this field has strength GM/r2, and
points towards the mass—the direction of the attraction. Let us draw it
anyway, or, at least, let’s draw in a few vectors showing its strength at
various points:
Sample Problem: What is the gravitational field strength at the surface of Jupiter mass of 1.9 x
kg radius 7.1 x m?
Given:
M = 1.9 x kg, radius = 7.1 x m,
G = 6.67×N /k
Solution:
=(6.67×N /k)(1.9 x kg)
7.1 x m
𝑔 = 25.13 N/kg
Gravitational fields are vector fields. They can be visualized in two ways - either by drawing
an arrow representing the gravitational field vector at that point, or by drawing field lines.
If there are many masses, the resultant gravitational field at any
point is the vector sum of the gravitational fields at that point
due to each mass. Thus, the fields from each mass are
independent of each other.
 GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY
The gravitational potential energy (GPE) of an object of mass in a gravitational field is the
energy stored as a result of the object's location in the field. If the field is due to a uniform
spherical mass 𝑀, and the particle is outside 𝑀 at a distance from the centre of 𝑀, then the
particle's gravitational potential energy is:
Ugrav
Where: Ugrav = Universal gravitational potential energy
G = gravitational constant
M = Mass of the body attracting to another m
M = mass of the body attracting to M
r = distance between their center
The general expression for gravitational potential energy arises from the
law of gravity and is equal to the work done against gravity to bring a
mass to a given point in space. Because of the inverse square nature of the
gravity force, and it makes sense to choose the zero of gravitational
potential energy at an infinite distance away. A Gravitational Potential
Energy (GPE) near a planet is then negative since gravity does positive
work as the mass approaches. This negative potential is indicative of a
“bound state”, once a mass is near a large body, it is trapped until
something can provide enough energy to allow it to escape.
Sample Problem: An astronaut is outside performing a spacewalk near the
International Space Station. With her spacesuit and all equipment, she has
a mass of 200 kg. The space station has a mass of 419,600 kg. What is the
gravitational potential energy when she is 10.0 m from the center of mass
of the space station?
Answer: The formula can be used to find the potential energy:
U = 0 when the distance between the astronaut and the space station is infinite, and so this
equation represents the change in potential energy if you bring the astronaut from an
infinite distance away to a position 10.0 m from the center of mass of the station. The
force acting on the astronaut is away from the position where U = 0, and this is why the
equation has a negative sign, and the potential energy we find will be negative.

U = -0.000560 N∙m
U = -5.60 x 10-4 J
The gravitational potential energy of her position 10.0 m from the center of mass of
the station is -5.60 x 10-4 J.
The gravitational field potential due to a uniform spherical mass 𝑀, at a point outside 𝑀 a
distance from the centre of 𝑀, is given by
 ACTIVITY 1: COMPLETE ME!
Instruction: Use the equation g = GM/r2 to calculate the gravitational field of sun, planets,
satellites or the moon found in inside the table below. Remember that gravitational constant G
is equal to 6.67 x 10 -11 N.m2/kg2.
Table 1: Data on Planetary Masses, radii and gravitational field.

Solve the Problem below on a separate sheet. Show you solutions

MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
 ORBITS AND KEPLER’S LAWS
OF PLANETARY MOTION
Learning Objectives:
1. Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion; and
2. For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary motion to
Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Centripetal Acceleration
Based on the illustration, at what region is the gravitational field strongest?
 KEPLER’S LAW OF
The Law of Ellipses PLANETARY MOTION
Kepler's first law - sometimes referred to as the law of
ellipses - explains that planets are orbiting the sun in a path
described as an ellipse. An ellipse is a special curve in which
the sum of the distances from every point on the curve to
two other points is a constant. The two other points are
known as the foci of the ellipse. The closer together that
these points are, the more closely that the ellipse resembles
the shape of a circle
The Law of Equal Areas
Kepler's second law - sometimes referred to as the law of
equal areas - describes the speed at which any given planet
will move while orbiting the sun. The speed at which any
planet moves through space is constantly changing. A planet
moves fastest when it is closest to the sun and slowest when
it is furthest from the sun.
The Law of Harmonies
Kepler's third law - sometimes referred to as the Law of Harmonies - compares
the orbital period and radius of orbit of a planet to those other planets. Unlike
Kepler's first and second laws that describe the motion characteristics of a single
planet, the third law makes a comparison between the motion characteristics of
different planets. The comparison being made is that the ratio of the squares of
the periods to the cubes of their average distances from the sun is the same for
every one of the planets. As an illustration, consider the orbital period and
average distance from sun (orbital radius) for Earth and Mars as given in the table
below.
Average Distance
Planet Period (s) T2/a3 (s2/m3)
(m)

Earth 3.156 x 107 s 1.4957 x 1011 2.977 x 10-19

Mars 5.93 x 107 s 2.278 x 1011 2.975 x 10-19
Observe that the T2/a3 ratio is the same for Earth as it is for mars. In fact, if the
same T2/a3 ratio is computed for the other planets, it can be found that this ratio
is nearly the same value for all the planets (see table below). Amazingly, every
planet has the same T2/a3 ratio.

Average T2/a3
Planet Period (yr)
Distance (au) (yr2/au3)
Mercury 0.241 0.39 0.98
Venus .615 0.72 1.01
Earth 1.00 1.00 1.00
Mars 1.88 1.52 1.01
Jupiter 11.8 5.20 0.99
Saturn 29.5 9.54 1.00
Uranus 84.0 19.18 1.00
Neptune 165 30.06 1.00
Pluto 248 39.44 1.00
• (NOTE: The average distance value is given in astronomical units
where 1 a.u. is equal to the distance from the earth to the sun -
1.4957 x m. The orbital period is given in units of earth-years
where 1 earth year is the time required for the earth to orbit the sun
- 3.156 x seconds.)
• Kepler's third law provides an accurate description of the period and
distance for a planet's orbits about the sun. Additionally, the same
law that describes the T2/a3 ratio for the planets' orbits about the
sun also accurately describes the T2/a3 ratio for any satellite
(whether a moon or a man-made satellite) about any planet. There is
something much deeper to be found in this T2/a3 ratio - something
that must relate to fundamental principles of motion
Kepler's 3rd Law: T2 = a3
• This equation only works for objects which are orbiting the sun. *
• Kepler's 3rd law is a mathematical formula. It means that if you know the
period of a planet's orbit (T = how long it takes the planet to go around the
Sun), then you can determine that planet's distance from the Sun (a = the semi
major axis of the planet's orbit).

• It also tells us that planets that are far away from the Sun have longer periods
than those close to Kepler's third law deals with the length of time a planet
takes to orbit the Sun, called the period of revolution. The law states that the
square of the period of revolution is proportional to the cube of the planet's
average distance to the sun:
T2=a3
Because of the way a planet moves along its orbit, its average
distance from the Sun is half of the long diameter of the elliptical orbit
(the semi major axis.) The period, T, is measured in years and the
semi major axis, a, is measured in astronomical units (AU), the
average distance from the Earth to the Sun.
Kepler's third law is a mathematical relation between a planet's
period and its average distance. With a little simple algebra we can
determine one of the values if we are given the other. First of all it
helps to rearrange the relationship slightly and apply a little
cleverness:
Kepler's third law is a mathematical relation between a planet's period and its
average distance. With a little simple algebra we can determine one of the
values if we are given the other. First of all it helps to rearrange the relationship
slightly and apply a little cleverness

Kepler's third law can be rearranged and turned in to “an equality” as it is shown
below. The Constant is just a number. However, it is important to know that this
Constant is the same for anything orbiting the Sun. The value of this Constant
depends on the units you use to measure the Period and Average Distance.
If you measure the Period in [years] and the Average Distance in
astronomical units [AU] [an astronomical unit is defined as the
average distance between the Earth and the Sun] then the Constant
equals 1. Why is this? Well the Earth has a period of 1 year and an
average distance if 1 AU. Stick these numbers into the equation above
and the Constant equals 1. Now, since this constant is the same for
everything orbiting the Sun, as long as you measure the period in
years and the average distance in AUs then the Constant is always 1.
Determine the period of an object that orbits the Sun at an
average distance of 4 AU. Plug the average distance into the
equation above, do a little algebra:
Solution: T2/a3=1; T2/43=1; T2/64=1; P2=64; P=√64;
P = 8 (years)
An object with an average distance of 4 AU takes 8 years to
go around the Sun.
Now that you have already know how to solve, complete the table below using a separate sheet of paper.

Semi-major
Orbital period
axis
Planet (years) T2 a3 T2/a3
(A.U.'s)

Mercury 0.241 0.39

Venus 0.615 0.723

Earth 1 1 1
Mars 1.881 1.524 3.538161 3.539 .9995
 WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Now that you have leared a lot from orbit and Kepler’s Law of Planetary
motion, Let us summarize what you have learned from by answering the
following questions. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What does Kepler’s 1st Law of Planetary motion mean?
___________________________________________________________
2. What does Kepler’s 2nd Law of Planetary motion tells us about?
___________________________________________________________
3. How Kepler’s 3rd Law relates to “The closer the planet is to the Sun,
the greater its speed”?
___________________________________________________________