FORM 4 PHYSICS

Theme 2 Newtonian mechanics

Chapter 3 Gravitation
3.1 Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation Formulation of Newton’s Universal Law of
• Gravitational force  Universal force Gravitation
• Acts between any two bodies in the universe
• Gravitational force exists between two bodies
• Two bodies experience gravitational force of the
………………. magnitude
Why does a fallen leaf move towards the
ground?
Answer:
Both the leaf and the earth experience the
……………… gravitational force.
This causes the leaf and the Earth to ………………
towards one another
F Gravitational force between two bodies
As the ………………. of the Earth is very much
larger than the mass of the leaf, gravitational force m1 Mass of first body
does not have an apparent effect on the Earth’s m2 Mass of second body
movement.
Thus, we only observe the leaf falling to the ground r Distance between the centre of the first body and
centre of the second body
In the year 1687, Isaac Newton presented two G Gravitational constant (6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2)
relationship that involve gravitational force between
two bodies:
❑ Gravitational force is ………………. proportional • Newton’s universal law of gravitation states that
to the product of the masses of the two bodies, that is the gravitational force between two bodies is
………………….. proportional to the product of
masses of both bodies and …………………..
❑ Gravitational force is ………………. proportional
to the square of the distance between the centres of proportional to the square of the distance between the
the two bodies, that is centres of the two bodies
Example:
Determine the force of gravitational attraction between
the earth (5.98 x 1024 kg) and a student (70 kg) if the
student is standing at sea level, a distance of
6.38 x 106 m from earth's centre.
Solution:

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Activity 3.2 (Page 81) Discussion:
Aim: To solve problem involving Newton’s Universal 1. How do the masses of two bodies influence the
Law of Gravitation for two bodies at rest on the gravitational force between them?
Earth. Answer:
1. Imagine student A and student B are bodies at rest on When the masses …………………., the
the Earth
gravitational force …………………
2. Record student A mass, m1 and the mass of student
B, m2
3. Calculate the gravitational force, F using both 2. What is the effect of distance between two bodies on
masses and the distance given in the table gravitational force between them?
4. Change pair of students and repeat steps 3 and 4 Answer:
Mass, m (kg) When the distance between two bodies …………,
Pair r (m) F (N) gravitational force between them …………………
m1 m2
1 2.0
3. Why is the magnitude of gravitational force between
4.0 you and your partner small?
Answer:
2 2.0 Two bodies with ……………. mass has very
4.0 ………………. magnitude of gravitational force and
Calculation of gravitational force:
will not feel the effect of the gravitational force.
[G = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2]
Pair 1:
When r = 2.0 m • Gravitational force between two bodies depends on
𝐺𝑚1 𝑚2 1. Mass
𝐹=
𝑟2 ✓ the …………….. the mass of the body, the
……………….. the gravitational force
2. Distance between the two bodies
When r = 4.0 m ✓ the …………….. the distance between the two
bodies, the ……………… the gravitational force
Try this…
a) If the masses of both objects are doubled, what
happens to the gravitational force?
Pair 2:
When r = 2.0 m

When r = 4.0 m

Then the new gravitational force is ……………… times

the original gravitational force

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b) If the masses of the two objects do not change, the 3. Predict the difference in the magnitude of the
distance between the two bodies is reduced to one gravitational force between the Earth and the man-
fourth of the original distance, what happens to the made satellite and the gravitational force between the
gravitational force? Sun and the Earth.
Answer:
The magnitude of The magnitude of the
the gravitational gravitational force
force between the between the Sun and
Earth and the man- the Earth
made satellite

4. Calculate:
a) The gravitational force between the Earth and the
So the new gravitational force is ………………. times man-made satellite
the original gravitational force solution:

Activity 3.3 page 82

b) The gravitational force between the Earth and the

Sun.
Discussion: Solution:
1. What is the gravitational force on the man-made
satellite before it is launched?
Solution:

Does your answer match your prediction in Question

3?
Answer (Yes / No)

2. Compare: 5. The gravitational force between the Earth and the

a) The mass of the Earth, the mass of the man-made Moon is 2.00 x 1020 N. What is the distance between
satellite and the mass of the Sun the centre of the Earth and the centre of the Moon?
Answer: Solution:

b) Between the Earth-satellite distance and the Sun-

Earth distance
Answer:

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Activity 3.4 page 83
Aim: to derive formula for gravitational acceleration, g 3. How does the value of gravitational acceleration
𝐺𝑀𝑚 change when the distance from the centre of the
using the formulae F = mg and 𝐹 =
𝑟2 Earth increases?
M = Mass of the Earth
m = Mass of the object ……………………………………………………...
r = Distance between the centre of the Earth and the
centre of the object 4. Discuss the condition where the value of
gravitational acceleration is almost zero.
Answer:
g is ………………………proportional to r for r  R
(Gravitational acceleration below the surface of the
Earth)
At the centre of the Earth (r = 0), g = …………. because
the forces from all the directions cancel themselves out
in the gravitational field

More to know……
Gravitational acceleration below the surface of the
earth

Activity 3.5 page 84

Aim: To discuss the variation in the value of g with r

Discussion:
1. What is the value of gravitational acceleration on the
Earth’s surface?

……………………………………………………
2. Plot a graph of g against r

When it is deeper below the Earth’s surface, the

contribution of the Earth’s mass to its gravitational
acceleration is smaller.

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 Effect of low gravity of the growth of human
1) The heart works ………….. on the Moon because
the gravity is smaller so it is easier to pump blood
throughout the body. This may cause the heart to
become ……………. and ………………
2) As the muscles and heart are used less, the muscles
lose …………….. When astronauts return to Earth,
their muscles may not be ……………. enough to
allow them to move on their own
3) Due to the lack of compression on the spine, the discs
The value of gravitational acceleration at
the position of the satellite is in the spine absorb more fluid than they do on the

𝑮𝑴 Earth. This causes astronauts becoming …………....

𝒈= 𝟐 This lengthening of the spine can also cause
𝒓
………………………

Formative practice 3.1 Page 95 4) The blood is flowing more to the ………….. part of
4) A weather satellite orbits the Earth at a height of body and away from the lower limbs. While in
560 km. What is the value of gravitational
acceleration at the position of the satellite? space, astronauts suffer from ……………… faces as
[G = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2, mass of the Earth = fluid and blood flow decreases to the legs and flow
5.97 x 1024 kg, radius of the Earth = 6.37 x 106 m]
Solution: more to the head and upper limbs.
5) According to NASA research, without the gravity
working on your body, your bones lose minerals,
with a density of …………….. than 1% a month

Centripetal Force

• For a body in circular motion, a force acts on the

body in a direction …………………. the
Important of knowing the value of
gravitational acceleration …………………. of the circle
• Space exploration and continuity of life • An object in circular motion always experiences
• To calculate the gravitational acceleration on the
surface of a planet changes in the direction of its motion even though its
• To calculate the magnitude of the gravitational force speed ……………….
acting on the object on the surface of the planet.
• When a body moves in a circle at uniform speed, the
body is said to be uniform circular motion

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Activity 3.9 page 89 3) How does the centripetal force change when the
• The tension in the rope, T acts as the centripetal rubber stopper makes a circular motion with a
force, F smaller radius?
• When a body is rotated (constant speed, v) Answer:
horizontally, the effect of gravitational force can be When the radius …………….., the centripetal force
ignored
……………….
Example:
If the 0.1 kg rubber stopper is rotated with a radius of
circle, r = 40 cm, what is the centripetal force acting on
the rubber stopper when the rubber stopper is moving at
a speed of 10 m s-1?
Solution:

Prediction of Isaac Newton

• Velocity is ……………… than the orbital velocity.
Centripetal force can be calculated using the formula:
The cannonball falls to earth

• Velocity is ……………… than the orbital velocity.

The cannonball stays in orbit
Discussion
1) When the rubber stopper makes a circular motion, • Trajectory for free falling object circulating the
the stretched string exerts a force on the rubber Earth
stopper. What is the direction of the force? • Many man-made satellites orbiting around the Earth
Answer: without being driven by any thrust
Direction of the force ……………… the ……….… • Satellites always experience gravitational force
the circle acting towards the centre of the Earth  ………….
2) What is the relationship between the speed of the
rubber stopper and the centripetal force? ……………………………………………………..
Answer:
Centripetal force is ………………. proportional to
………………………………..of the rubber stopper

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 𝑚𝑣 2 Example page 92
• By comparing the formula, F = ma and 𝐹 =
𝑟 A weather satellite orbiting the Earth at a height,
Centripetal acceleration, h = 480 km. Linear speed of the satellite is
7.62 x 103 m s-1. The radius of the Earth, R is
6.37 x 106 m. What is the centripetal acceleration of the
satellite?
Solution:
v = Linear speed of satellite
r = Radius of the orbit of satellite

Centripetal Acceleration, ac

• Rate of change in velocity of an object that is

associated with the change in direction of the
velocity
• ac is always ……………………………. to velocity
• ac is always point towards the …………………of
the curve

Mass of the Earth and the sun

Activity 3.10
Aim: To determine the mass of the Earth and the Sun

M Mass of the Earth

m Mass of the Moon

r Radius of the Moon’s orbit
T Period of revolution of the Moon around the
Earth
v Linear speed of the Moon

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 Discussion:
2) Period of revolution of the Moon around
the Earth, T is 2.36 x 106 s and radius of
the Moon’s orbit, r is 3.83 x 108 m.
Calculate the mass of the Earth, M.
Solution:

Example:
3) The Earth revolves the Sun in a period of one year The diagram shows a satellite at 356 830 km height
and the radius of the orbit is 1.50 x 1011 m. Calculate from the surface of the earth. Calculate the mass of the
the mass of the Sun. Earth if the period of orbiting the Earth is 86 400 s.
Solution: Solution: