GRAVITAIONAL FIELD

1. A model of black hole is a point mass of 6 x 1024 kg. What is the force on a point mass of 1 kg at
a distance of 2cm from this black hole?
(A) 1 x 1014 N (B) 2 x 1014 N
(C) 2 x 1016 N (D) 1 x 1018 N
2. Satellite are in circular orbit around the Earth. What is the relationship between the radii r of
their orbits and their speeds v?
(A) v ∝ r 2 (B) v ∝ r
2 1 1
(C) v ∝ (D) v ∝ 2
r r
3. An artificial satellite travels in a circular orbit about the Earth. Its rocket engine is then fired
and produces a force on the satellite exactly equal and opposite to that exerted by the Earth’s
gravitational field.
The satellite would then start to move:
(A) Along a spiral path towards the Earth’s surface.
(B) Along the line joining it to the centre of the earth (i.e. radially).
(C) Along a tangent to the orbit.
(D) In a circular orbit with a longer period.
4. An experimental satellite is found to have a weight W when assembled before launching from a
rocket site. It is placed in a circular orbit at a height h = 6R above the surface of the Earth (of
radius R.)
What is the gravitational force acting on the satellite whilst in orbit?
W W
(A) (B)
6 7
W W
(C) (D)
36 49
5. If a body of mass m were released in a vacuum just above the surface of a planet of mass M and
radius R, what would be its gravitational acceleration?
GmM GmM
(A) (B) 2
R R
GM GM
(C) (D) 2
R R
6. The radius of the Earth’s orbit about the sun is 1.50 x 1011 m. The earth takes 365 days to orbit
the sun.
What is the mass of the sun?
(A) 6.40 x 1029kg (B) 2.01 x 1030kg
33
(C) 1.16 10 kg (D) 3.31 x 1033kg
7. The earth may be considered to be a uniform sphere of mass M and radius R. Which one of the
following equations correctly relates the universal gravitational constant G to the acceleration
of free fall g at the surface of the Earth?
gM R
2
(A) G= 2 (B) G=
R gM
gR
2
M
(C) G= (D) G= 2
M gR
8. Star X and mass 2M and star Y of mass M perform circular motion about their gravitational
force acting on X
attraction. Ignoring the effects of any other bodies, what is the ratio ?
force acting on Y
(A) 1 (B) 2
 (C) 4 (D) 1/2
9. A satellite of mass m is in a circular orbit of radius r about the earth, mass M and remains at a
vertical height h above the Earth’s surface. Taking the zero of the gravitational potential to be
at an infinite distance from the earth, what is the gravitational potential energy of the satellite?
(A) mgh (B) -mgh
−GMm −GMm
(C) (D)
r 2r
10. As a satellite orbits in the earth’s gravitational field, its distance from the earth’s centre varies
between a minimum of r at P and a maximum of 3r at Q. Its acceleration at P is a.
What is its acceleration at Q?
a a
(A) (B)
9 3
(C) 3a (D) 9a
11. A meteorite falls freely towards the centre of an isolated spherical planet of radius R. When it
reaches the surface of the planet, its acceleration is gs.
What is its acceleration when at a height 2R above the surface?
1 1
(A) g (B) g
9 s 4 s
1 1
(C) gs (D) gs
3 2
12. The acceleration of free fall on the surface of the earth is 6 times its value on the surface of the
Moon. The mean density of the earth is 5/3 times the mean density of the moon.
rE
If rE is the radius of the earth and rM the radius of the Moon, what is the value of ?
rM
(A) 1.9 (B) 3.6
(C) 6.0 (D) 10
13. A mass m is at fixed point Q. It produces a gravitational potential at point P, distant r from Q.

The gravitational potential is equal to the external work done on unit mass in moving it.
(A) From P to Q. (B) From Q to P.
(C) From P to infinity. (D) From infinity to P.
14. On the ground, the gravitational force on a satellite is W. What is the gravitational force on the
satellite when at a height R/50. Where R is the radius of the earth?
(A) 1.02 W (B) 1.00 W
(C) 0.98 (D) 0.96 W
15. The gravitational field strength at a point P on the earth’s surface is numerically equal to:
(A) The acceleration of free fall at P.
(B) The change in potential energy per unit distance from P.
(C) The force acting on anybody placed at P.
(D) The work done in brining unit mass from infinity to P.
16. Two instruments are used on the earth to measure the mass of an object. A spring balance reads
600 g and a lever balance requires six 100 g discs to balance.
If these measurements were to be repeated on the Moon, where the gravitational field is 1/6 of
its value on earth, which results would be expected?
Reading on spring Number of 100 g discs required for
balance balance on lever balance
 A 600 g 6

B 600 g 1

C 100 g 6

D 100 g 1

17. The diagram shows X and Y at distance L and 2L from the centre of the earth. The
gravitational potential at X is -8 kJ kg-1.

What is the gain in potential energy of a 1 kg mass when it is moved from X to Y?

(A) -4 kJ (B) -2 kJ
(C) +2 kJ (D) +4 kJ
18. In this question, you can consider all the mass of the earth to be concentrated at its centre.
Work to five significant figures using the following data:
Mass of Earth = 5.9768 x1024 kg
Distance of san Francisco from centre to earth = 6.3782 x 106m
Gravitational constant G = 6.6730 x 10-11 Nm2kg-2.
What is the value of g, the gravitational field strength of the earth, in San Francisco?
(A) 9.8038 N kg-1 (B) 9.8067 N kg-1
-1
(C) 9.8100 N kg (D) 9.8870 N kg-1
19. A stationary object is released from a point P, a distance3R from the centre of the Moon which
has radius R and mass M.

Which one of the following expressions gives the speed of the object on hitting the Moon?

( ) ( )
1 1
2GM 2 4 GM 2
(A) (B)
3R 2R

( ) ( )
1 1
2GM 2 4 GM 2
(C) (D)
R R
20. A satellite of mass m is placed in an equatorial orbit so that it remains vertically above a fixed
point on the earth’s surface.
If w is the earth’s angular velocity of rotation and M is the earth’s mass, what is the radius of
the satellite’s orbit?

[ ] [ ]
1 1
GM 3 Gm 3
(A) (B)
ω2 ω2

[ ] [ ]
1 1
GmM 3 GM 2
(C) (D)
ω3 ω2
21. A satellite of mass 810 kg is to be raised from the earth to a height of 92.0 km above the surface
of the earth.
What is the necessary increase in the potential energy of the satellite?
The mass of the earth is 5.98 x 1024 kg.
The radius of the earth is 6370 km.
(A) 7.22 x 105 J (B) 7.31 x 105 J
8
(C) 7.22 x 10 J (D) 7.31 x 108 J
22. A satellite of mass 50 kg moves from a point where the gravitational potential due to the earth is
-20 MJ kg-1 to another point where the gravitational potential is -60 MJ kg-1.
(A) Closer to the earth and lost 2000 MJ of potential energy.
(B) Closer to the earth and lost 40 MJ of potential energy.
(C) Further from the earth and gained 2000 MJ of potential energy.
(D) Further from the earth and gained 40 MJ of potential energy.
23. A satellite moves at constant speed in a circular orbit about the earth.
Which statement about the momentum and kinetic energy of the satellite is correct?
Momentum Kinetic energy
A Constant Changing
B Constant Constant
C Changing Changing
D Changing Constant
24. Outside a uniform sphere of mass M, the gravitational field strength is the same as that of a
point mass M at the centre of the sphere.
The earth may be taken to be a uniform sphere of radius r, the gravitational field strength at its
surface is g.
What is the gravitational field strength at a height h above the ground?
2
gr gr
(A) (B)
( r +h )2 r +h
2
g (r−h) g ( r −h )
(C) (D)
r r2
25. Which graph shows how the gravitational field strength g due to a point mass varies with the
distance r from the point mass?
(Arbitrary values are used on the graph axes. On all the graphs, g has the value 64 units when r
= 1 unit.)
26. A satellite orbits a planet at a distance r from its centre. Its gravitational potential energy is -3.2
MJ.
Another identical satellite orbits the planet at a distance 2r from its centre.
What is the sum of the kinetic energy and the gravitational potential energy of this second
satellite?
(A) -0.40 MJ (B) -.80 MJ
(C) -1.6 MJ (D) -6.4 MJ
27. A communications satellite which takes 24 hours to orbit the earth is replaced by a new satellite
which has twice the mass of the first.
If the new satellite also has an orbit time of 24 hours, then the ratio
radius of orbit of new satellite
is:
radius of orbit of old satellite
1 1
(A) (B)
2 1
(C)
√2 (D)
2
1 1
28. For points outside a uniform sphere of mass M, the gravitational field is the same as that of a
point mass M at the centre of the sphere. The earth may be taken to be a uniform sphere of a
radius r and density p.
How is the gravitational field strength g at its surface related to these quantities to the
gravitational constant G?
Gρ 3G
(A) g= 2 (B) g=
r 4 πrρ
2
4 πrρG 4 π r ρG
(C) g= (D) g=
3 3
29. The diagram (not to scale) represents the relative positions of the earth and the Moon.

The line XY joins the surface of the earth to the surface of the Moon.
Which graph represents the variation of gravitational potential ∅ along the line XY?

30. Which statement about geostationary orbits is false?

(A) A geostationary orbit must be directly above the equator.
(B) All the satellites in a geostationary orbit must have the same mass.
(C) The period of a geostationary orbit must be 24 hours.
 (D) There is only one possible radius for a geostationary orbit.
31. A satellite is orbiting the earth.
The gravitational force on the satellite is FG. The centripetal force required to maintain the
satellite in orbit is FC.
Which diagram shows the force, acting on the orbiting satellite?

32. A satellite of mass m moves in a circular orbit at speed v and distance r from the centre of a
planet of mass M.

What expression gives the total energy of the satellite?

[ ] [ ]
2 2
v GM v GM
(A) m − (B) m −
r r 2 r

[ ] [ ]
2 2
v GM v GM
(C) m + (D) m +
r r 2 r
33. The neutral point in the gravitational field between the sun, the earth and the moon is the point
at which the resultant gravitational field due to the three bodies is zero. The mass of the earth is
about 80 times the mass of the moon.
At what position is it possible is it possible for the neutral point to be? (The diagram is not
drawn to scale.)

34. The diagram shows a solar satellite, mass m, positioned directly between the earth, mass M L,
and the sun, mass MS. The satellite is a distance r from the earth and a distance R from the sun.
 The satellite rotates in a circle around the sun once a year and therefore moves around the sun
with the earth, both having the same angular velocity w.
Which force = mass x acceleration equation applies for the satellite?
GM S m 2 GM E m 2
(A) 2
=m×(Rω ) (B) 2
=m ×(rω )
R R

(C)
( GME
r
2
−
GM S
R
2 )
=m × ( Rω )
2
(D)
( GMS
R
2
−
GM E
r
2 )
=m × ( Rω )
2

35. An astronomical gas cloud has mass M and radius R. the gravitational potential on its surface S
−GM −3 GM
is and at its centre O is .
R 2R

A unit mass is moved slowly by means of an external force from the surface S to the centre O.
what is the work done on the mass by the external force?
−5GM −GM
(A) (B)
2R 2R
GM 5GM
(C) (D)
2R 2R
36. A satellite of mass m is moved from a circular orbit of radius r1 around the earth to a new
circular orbit of radius r2, as shown.

The mass of the earth is M and the gravitational constant is G.

What is the increase in the potential energy of the satellite?

(A) GM ( r1 − r1 )
2 1
(B) GM ( r1 − r1 )
1 2
 (C) GMm ( 1 1
−
r2 r1 ) (D) GMm ( 1 1
−
r1 r2 )
37. An unpowered artificial satellite called SOHO has been placed in a stable orbit around the sun
at a distance of 0.99 R from the sun, where R is the orbital radius of the earth. The satellite is
always on the radial line from the sun to the earth so that it has a period of 1.0 year, the same as
the earth.

Which statement relating to the satellite helps to explain how it is possible for its period to be
1.0 year?
(A) The gravitational field of the sun at the satellite is reduced by the presence of the earth.
(B) The gravitational force of the earth on the satellite balances the gravitational force of the sun on
the satellite.
(C) The mass of the satellite is much less than the mass of the earth.
(D) the resultant gravitational force on the satellite is less the gravitational force the sun exerts on it.
38. Two stars of mass M and 2M, a distance 3x apart, rotate in circle their common centre of mass
O.

2
kGM
The gravitational force acting on the stars can be written as 2 .
x
What is the value of k?
(A) 0.22 (B) 0.50
(C) 0.67 (D) 2.0