NCEA Level 3 Physics

Gravitational Fields
Intro- Force Fields

The concept of a field is a valuable

thinking model to help scientists
(like yourselves) to explain the
interaction between objects which
are not in direct contact.
Types of fields

Electrical- due to charged objects

Magnetic- due to moving charges
Gravitational- due to masses

Check out the demonstrations!!

Static moving coke can
Electromagnet
Slinky
Gravitational Fields

Newtons falling apple

There is a gravitational attraction
between any two objects with mass-
this force is usually too weak to be
noticed unless one of the objects
considered has a massive amount of
mass (or just very large!).
Curved Space
 Gravitational Force Field Force Field
(Gravitational Field)-
any object placed
within the field will
experience a force
Any object with
mass creates a
field around it-

Field lines- the

radial lines
The density of around a sphere
the field lines (planet) show the
corresponds direction a small
with the field mass would
strength follow if in the
field
By definition

Gravitational Field Strength, g, is the

force per unit mass on a small test
mass placed in a field
g=F/m
Why does it
Nkg-1 N / kg have to be
small?

Where F is the Force acting on a mass,

m in the field.
eh because

A small mass does not have a

significant force field of its own so it
will not affect the field which we are
concerned with.
just so you know

Field lines close to the Earth look like

this-
This is an example of a uniform field
where the strength is the same
everywhere- we use this when
distances are considered to be
relatively small (couple of thousand
miles).
Black Hole Fun!

Physics Ripped apart at the seems

where all youve been studying falls
to pieces and no-one can save you!!

The average sized black hole is 8

times more massive than our own
Sun all concentrated into a space no
larger than your finger nail
Field strength on a point mass
m1
m2
Consider Newtons Laws on the point
mass (2 ways of expressing F)-
F = Gm1m2 (Law of gravitation)
r2

F = m2 g (Newtons 2nd Law- F = m a)

Equate
m2 g = Gm1m2
r2
Field strength on a point mass

g = Gm
r2

m is the mass of the object causing

the gravitational field
r is the distance from the centre of
the mass m to the point mass
G is the universal constant of gravity
Brings us back Gravity constant

g = Gm = F
r2 m

g also follows an inverse square

law
Draw a graph to show the relationship
between g and r g
Inverse square Law

Field strength g, weakens as distance

r, increases

1
2

2
2
3
2
Calculating the Mass of the Earth

Value of g on the Earths surface

g = 9.81 Nkg-1
Radius of the Earth
r = 6400km = 6.4x106m
Using the field strength equation-
g= Gm
r2
Rearrange for mass-m = g r2
G
= 9.81 x (6.4x106m)2 / 6.67x10-11
6.02 x 1024 kg
Did you Know (probably not)

The mass of the Earth increases

every year because of 3,000 tonnes
of meteorite debris that hits its
surface from space.
Get you thinking

Using the new formula and Newtons

second law of motion, can you show
that the value for the gravitational
field strength is also the value for
acceleration due to free-fall?
Fields- syllabus reference

10 Gravitational force between

point masses (Newtons law)
- Knowledge and use of F = Gm1m2/r2.
- G introduced as constant with units.

11 Gravitational field of a point

mass
- Knowledge and use of g = Gm/r2.
- Calculation of the Earths mass.
Newtons Law

In 1689 an apple fell

Well.. It wasnt as
simple as that!
Newtons Law

If the force of gravity reaches to the

top of the highest tree, might it not
reach even further; in particular,
might it not reach all the way to the
orbit of the Moon?
Just like the acceleration of the apple

The acceleration due to gravity

changes the velocity of the Moon
so that it follows an orbit around the
Earth
Sent into Orbit!

At just the right speed and trajectory

the canon ball will fall towards the
Earth due to the gravitational force
at the same rate as the Earths
surface curves away from it.

The canon ball has been sent into

orbit!
Newtons Law of Gravitation

Every object attracts every other

object along a line that joins their
centres. It is proportional to the
product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the
square of their distances apart
The equation

F = Gm1m2
r2

F is the gravitational force of attraction

m1m2 is the product of the two masses
r is the distance between the centre of the
masses
G is the gravitational constant with a value of
6.67 x 10-11
Wee Example

The Moons orbit of the Earth is at a

radius 3.84x108m, the mass of the
moon is 7.35x1022kg and the Earths
mass is 6.00x1024kg
Calculate the size of the force which
keeps the Moon in orbit of the Earth.
F = Gm1m2 = 6.67x10-11 x 6.00x1024 x 7.35x1022
r2 (3.84x108m)2
= 1.99x1020 N
And what about this rocket

A rocket of mass 42 000kg is fired

towards the Moon. What is the net
gravitational force on the rocket
when it is 3.00x108m away from the
centre of the Earth?
FE = 187N
FM = 29.2N
Net Force =187 29.2 = 158N
(Towards the Earth!)
How attractive are you?

Use the equation to approximately

work out the force of attraction you
have with the person closest to you

Why is the value so small?

An inverse square relationship

As the distance
between two objects
increases the
attractive force
decreases (inverse)
by a directly square
proportion-
Comet Action
So

If the force between two objects is

200N when they are 5m apart, what
is the force between them when they
are-
A) 10m apart? (2 times the distance)
B) 20m apart? (4 times the distance)
C) 30m apart? (6 times the distance)
200/4 = 50N 200/16= 12.5N 200/36=
5.56N
The unit of G (G unit)

Re-arrange the N. Law of G. to make

G the subject-

G = F r2 / m1m2

Unit of G is therefore = N m2 kg-2

Some extra notes to be aware of

Gravitational force is equal and

opposite for two masses (each pull
each other with the same force)
The masses are considered to be
point masses with all their mass
concentrated at their centre
Gravitational forces are very weak
unless we are looking at enormous
masses
For our previous rocket

At what distance from the Earth is

their no resultant forces acting on
the rocket?
Force due to Earth = Force due to Moon

GmEmR = GmMmR
(3.84x108m- R2
R)2
3.84x108m

Eart R Moon
h
For our previous rocket

GmEmR = GmMmR
(3.84x108m- R2
R)2

mE x R 2 = mM x (3.84x108m- R)2

Solve using quadratic equation

3.84x108m
Moon
Eart R
h
Or

x
Moon
Eart y
h

GmEmR = GmMmR

X2 Y2

mM = m E X2 Y2

= mE X2

Y2
mM
Take the square root

X is 9/10 of total distance

X
= 9
Y is 1/10 of total distance
Y

One TENTH of 3.84x108 is 0.384x108

Therefore, distance from the Earth where
the forces are balanced is 3.84x108
0.384x108
= 3.456x108m
Syllabus Reference

11 Gravitational field of a point

mass
- Knowledge and use of g = Gm/r2.
- Calculation of the Earths mass.
Bit of Homewrok

Try the past paper question

Syllabus Reference

12 Planetary and satellite motion

Quantitative treatment of circular orbits

only.
A formal statement of Keplers laws is not
required, but candidates should be able to
show that the mathematical form of the
third law (t2 proportional to r3) is consistent
with Newtons law of gravitation.
Geostationary satellites.
The two equations for

F = Gm1m2
Newtons Law for
Gravitation
r2
F = m2v2 Centripetal
force
r
The force required to keep a planet in
circular orbit

2
 Massive
object!
The force required
to keep a planet in
circular orbit
Acceleration
towards centre
 2

Sub into equation

g = Gm1 / r2

m2 g =
2

v2
g r
Geostationary Orbits

Some satellites orbit exactly

over the Earth's equator and
make one orbit per day.
- Period of orbit T = 24hrs
Since the Earth rotates once
on its axis per day, the
satellite seems to hover over
the same spot on Earth
all the time.
Satellites in Orbit

The first satellite to be put

into Geostationary orbit
was way back in 1963
Since then there are now
over 600 at a height of
35,000km above the Earth
What would they be
used for?

Any idea what the satellite

Hotbird 1 is tracking?
Keplers Third Law you gotta know
this

The ratio of the period of a mass orbit

squared (T2) to the mean radius of its
orbit cubed (R3) is the same constant
value k for all the planets which orbit
the Sun. Period Average T /R 2 3
Planet
(s) Dist. (m) (s2/m3)

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

5.93 x 107 2.278 x

Mars 2.975 x 10-19
s 1011
Whats more

Newtons Law of gravitation is

consistent with Keplers 3rd Law
- Consider a planet with mass mp to
orbit in nearly circular motion about
the sun of mass mS
The Net Centripetal
Force F of the orbiting p
planet

The Net Centripetal

Force F of the
gravitational field
 Lets do some substituting and re-
arranging

p
=

v=2r/T v2 = 4 2 r2 / T2
Gms 4 2 r 2
=
r T2
Divide each side by r2 Gms 4 2 This value
r3 =
T2 will be the
same for all
Multiply each side by T2 Gms
= 4 2 planets
T2 r3
Divide each side by T2 4 2
=
Gms r3
Gms
Whats more

Newtons Law of gravitation is

consistent with Keplers 3rd Law
- Consider a planet with mass mp to
orbit in nearly circular motion about
the sun of mass mS
The Net Centripetal
Force F of the orbiting p
planet

The Net Centripetal

Force F of the
gravitational field
Question 1 (Jan 2001)

The planet Mars has radius 3.39x106m

and mass 6.50x1023kg. The length of a
day on Mars is 8.86x104s (24.6 days)
a) At what height above the surface of
Mars should a geostationary satellite
be placed?
b) Calculate the acceleration of free-fall
on the surface of Mars
Mars has two moons, Phobos (radius of
orbit 9.38x103km, 0.319 days) and
Deimos (radius of orbit 23.5x103km)
c) What is the period of Deimos orbit?
d) What are the three features of a
geostationary satellite?
Question 2 (Jan 2002)

a) State in words, Newtons law of

Gravitation
b) The period T of a satellite around a
planet is related to its radius r by
4 2
T2 = Gm r3
s
where M is the mass of the planet being
orbited. Show this is consistent with
Newtons Law of Gravitation
Using the data radius of Earth
6.37x106m and mass 5.98x1024kg, a
satellite is in geostationary orbit
around the Earth.
c) What is meant by a geostationary
orbit?
d) Calculate the height of the satellite
above the Earths surface.
Circular Motion

What is angular velocity (illustration?)

What is linear velocity?
Define frequency and period and
show how they are related to angular
velocity
Centripetal acceleration and hence
force (with directions)
Again link in period, velocity and
angular velocity
Newtons Law of gravitation

State in words
What does G stand for, whats
special about it?
Show in diagram form
Value of g, equation for calculations
Inverse square relationship
Geostationary Orbits

Meaning of a Geostationary Orbit

Newtons second law for a circular
orbit in terms of angular velocity and
period T
Equate Newtons two equations
Show how Keplers Law is consistent
with Newtons Law