Exercise Gravitaion :

m2
1.

0.4m

0.3m
m1 m3
Figure 8.1

Three 0.3kg billiard balls are placed on a table at the corners of right tringles, as shown
from overhead in figure 8.1. Find the net gravitational force on the ball designed as m1
due to the forces exerted on it by the other two balls. [answer F = 7.65 x10-11N,  = 29.3o]

2. Use the gravititional force law to find an approximate value for the mass of the Earth. [
answer : ME = 5.98 x1024kg ]

3. The gravitational potential difference between two points is 3.0 x 103 J/kg. Calculate the
work done in moving a mass of 4.0 kg between the two point. (1.3 x 104 J)

4. The moon has mass 7.7 x 1022 kg and radius 1.7 x 106 m. Calculate the work needed to
completely remove a 1.5 x 103 kg space craff from its surface into outer space. (4.53 x
109 J)

5. How much energy is required to move a 1000kg mass from the Earth’s surface to an
altitude h = 2RE.(6.25 x 1010 J)

6. A diagram below represents two points X and Y at distance L and 2L from the centre of
the earth. The gravitational potential at X is unknown. When a 1 kg mass is taken from
X to Y the work done on the mass is +4kg.Calculate the gravitational potential at X.(- 4
x 103 J/kg)

Earth

X Y
L

2L
7. a) Define gravitational potential.
b) Find the gravitational potential 100 km above the earth’s surface.(-5.4 x 107 J/kg)
8. Assuming that the earth is a uniform sphere of radius 6.4 x 106 m and mass 6.0 x 1024
kg, calculate
a) the gravitational potential at
I ) the earth’s surface(-6.3 x 107 J/kg)
ii) a point 6.0 x 105 m above it(-5.7 x 107 J/kg)
b) the work done in taking a 5.0 kg mass from the earth’s surface to a point 6.0 x
105 m above it (2.7 x 107 J/kg)
c) the work done in taking a 5.0 kg mass from the earth’s surface to a point where
the earth’s gravitational effect is negligible.(31 x 107 J/kg)

9. The moon has mass 7.7 x 1022 kg and radius 1.7 x 106 m. Calculate the work needed
to completely remove a 1.5 x 103 kg space craft from its surface into outer space.
Neglect the air friction.(4.5 x 109 J).

10. Calculate the minimum speed which a body must have to escape from the moon’s
gravitational field, given that the moon has 7.7 x 1022 kg and radius 1.7 x 106m.(2.5 x
103 m/s)

11. A planet has radius 5.0 x 105 m and mean density 3.0 x 103 kg/m-3. Calculate the
escape speed of bodies on its surface.(6.47 x 102 m/s)

12 The first artificial satellite to orbit the earth was Sputnik I which had
time period of 96 minutes. Calculate its average height above the earth. Use the same
values for g and R as in the previous example.
( use g = 9.81 Nkg-1 , R = 6.4 x 106 m ) ( h = 500 km)

13. Communications satellites orbit the earth with a time period of 24 hours, in orbits which
make them appear stationary when seen from the earth surface. Their orbits are
synchronous orbits because they move around at the same rate as the earth. Use Kepler’s
Third Law to calculate of a communications satellite. ( h = 35700 km )

14. Satellite dishes do not have to change directions in order to stay focused on a signal
from a satellite. This means that the satellite always have to be found at the same
location with respect to the surface of the earth. In order for this to occur, the satellite
must be at the height such that its revolution period is the same as that of the earth, 24
hours. At what height must a satellite be to achieve this ?
( RE = 6.4 x 106 m, ME = 6.0 x 1024 kg ) ( h = 3.59 x 107 m )