SS3 First Term Physics Lesson Note – Gravitational Field

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WEEK 2

GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

Contents

• Introduction
• Law of Universal Gravitation
• Gravitational Potential
• Escape Velocity
• Potential energy in Gravitational Field.

INTRODUCTION

Gravitational field is a region or space around a mass in which the gravitational force of the mass can be felt. Gravitation is the force of attraction exerted by a body on all other bodies in the universe. Gravitational force act between all masses and hold together planets, stars and galaxies.  Each mass has a gravitational field around it.

LAW OF UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION

Newton’s law of universal of gravitation states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

The law can be expressed mathematically as:

F ά M₁M₂                                                           ………………… 1

F ά 1/r²                                       ……………………2

F ά M₁M₂/r²                                                     ……………………3

:. F = G M₁M₂ /r²                                         ……………………4

M₁ and M₂ are the masses of the two particles r is the distance between them and G is the universal gravitational constant.  The numerical value of G = 6.67 x 10^-11 Nm² kg ^-2.

GRAVITATIONAL FIELD INTENSITY

Gravitational field intensity at a point is the force per unit mass of an object placed at that point.

g = ^F/_M

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