Facts that Matter
• Universal law of gravitation: Every object in the universe attracts
every other object with a force which is proportional to the product of
their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.
The force is along the line joining the centres of two objects.
Let two objects A and B of masses M and m lie at a distance of d from
each other as shown in the figure.
Let F be the force of attraction between two objects. According to the
universal law of gravitation
• G is called a universal constant because its value does not depend on
the nature of intervening medium or temperature or any other physical
variable.
S.I. unit of G = Nm 2 /kg 2
Value of G = 6.673 � 10 –11 Nm 2 /kg 2
(Found by Henry Cavendish)
• Importance of universal law of gravitation
Universal law of gravitation successfully explained several
phenomena like:
(i) the force that binds us to the earth.
(ii) the motion of moon around the earth.
(iii) the motion of planets around the sun.
(iv) the tides due to the moon and the sun.
• Free fall
When an object falls down towards the earth under the gravitational
force alone, we say the object is in free fall.
This acceleration is called acceleration due to gravity, denoted by ‘g’.
Unit is m/s 2 .
As F = ma (a = g) ...(i)
F = mg ...(ii) Get the CBSE Class 9 Science notes
on chapter 10 - Gravitation. Here you will get a brief description of the
important topics which will help you revise the whole chapter quickly and
easily. At the end of the notes you can try some questions that will help
you to assess your preparation level and get a hold on the subject.
This part is in continuation with CBSE Class 9 Science, Gravitation:
Chapter notes (Part-II), where we talked about the earth’s gravitational
force and other related factors.
Main topics covered in this part of CBSE Class 9 Science,
Gravitation: Chapter Notes, are:
Circular Motion & Gravitational Force
Thrust and Pressure
Factors affecting Pressure
Applications of Pressure in daily life
Buoyancy & Buoyant Force:
Factors affecting the Buoyant Force
Archimedes’ Principle
Applications of Archimedes’ Principle
Density and Relative Density
Also Read: CBSE Class 9 Science Chapter Notes - All Chapters
Key notes for Chapter - Gravitation, are:
Circular Motion & Gravitational Force
In circular motion, a force must act on body as its direction of velocity
changes. This force is called Centripetal force.
When moon revolves around earth in circular path, gravitational
force of earth provides the centripetal force to moon for circular
motion,
When planets revolve around Sun, gravitational force of Sun
provides the centripetal force to planets.
Thrust and Pressure
Thrust: Force exerted by an object perpendicular to the surface is called
thrust.
Pressure: Pressure is defined as thrust or force per unit area on a
surface.
Pressure = Thurst/Area
SI unit of pressure is Newton/meter2 (N/m2).
SI unit of pressure is called Pascal (Pa).
CBSE Class 9 Science Syllabus (Latest)
Factors affecting Pressure
Pressure depends on two factors:
(i) Force applied
(ii) Area of surface over which force acts
Since, pressure is indirectly proportional to the surface area of the object,
so, pressure increases with a decrease in surface area and decreases with
an increase in surface area.
Applications of Pressure in daily life
The base of high buildings is made wider to spread the weight of
the whole building over a large surface area due to which less
pressure acts on the ground.
School bags are provided with broad straps so that the weight of
school bags fall over a larger area of the shoulder and produce less
pressure hence making it easy to carry.
The blades of knives are made sharp so that on applying force on it,
a large pressure is produced on the very small surface area, thus
cutting the object easily.
Pressure in Fluids
Anything that can flow is called Fluid. Example: liquid and gas.
Molecules of a fluid move randomly and collide with walls of vessel.
Thus fluids apply pressure on walls.
Fluids exert pressure in all directions.
Buoyancy & Buoyant Force
Force applied by the fluid on a solid which is partially or fully
submerged in liquid, is called the buoyant force and this
phenomenon is named as buoyancy.
Buoyant force acts in upward direction and it depends on the
density of the fluid.
Factors affecting the Buoyant Force
Magnitude of the buoyant force depends on two factors:
Volume of the object immersed in liquid
Density of the liquid
Why does an object sink or float over water?
When an object is immersed in water, it exerts pressure over water due to
its weight. At the same time water also exerts upward thrust, i.e., buoyant
force over the object.
If the force exerted by the object is greater than the buoyant force
of water, the object sinks in water.
If the force exerted by the object is less than the buoyant force of
water, the object floats over water.
Archimedes’ Principle
It states that when a body is immersed fully or partially in a fluid, it
experiences an upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by it.
Applications of Archimedes’ Principle:
It is used in designing ships and submarines.
It is used in determining relative density of substances.
Hydrometers used to determine the density of liquids, work on this
principle.
Lactometers used to determine purity of milk, are also based on
this principle.
It is because of this principle that ship made of iron and steel floats in
water whereas a small piece of iron like nail, sinks in it.
Density (ρ)
The mass per unit volume is called density of an object.
Density (ρ) = Mass(M)/Volume(V)
SI unit of density = kg/m3
Relative density
It is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water.
Since relative density is a ratio of similar quantities, it has no unit.
Applications of density
If an object has density more than that of the liquid, it will float over
that liquid.
If an object has density lower than that of a liquid, it will sink in that
liquid.
When the relative density of a substance is less than 1, it will float in
water otherwise it will sink in water.
Try the following questions:
Q1. What is buoyancy and buoyant force? Upon what factors do they
depend?
Q2. Why does iron sink in water but floats on mercury?
Q3. Why does a buffalo float on the river but not the man?
Q4. Why does a mug full of water appear lighter inside the water?
Q5. The density of ice is 918kgm−3 and that of sea water is 1,030kgm−3.
An iceberg floats with a portion 224 liters outside water. Find the volume
of iceberg.
Also Read: CBSE Class 9 Science Chapter Notes - All Chapters
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M = Mass of the earth
d = Distance between the object and the earth
G = Gravitational constant
If the object is place on the earth then d =R
(R = radius of the earth)
Earth is not a sphere it is flattened at poles.
Calculation of value of g
G = 6.67 × 10 –11 Nm 2 /kg 2
M = 6 × 10 24 kg (Mass of the earth)
R = 6.4 × 10 6 m
On substituting the given values
Motion of objects under the influence of gravity ‘g’ does not depend
on the mass of the body. All objects small, big, heavy, light, hollow or
solid fall at same rate.
• The three equation of motion viz.
(iii) v 2 – u 2 = 2as are true for motion of objects under gravity.
For free fall, value of acceleration a = g = 9.5 ms –2 .
• If an object is just let fall from a height then in that as u = 0 and a =
g = 9.8 m/s 2 .
• If an object is projected vertically upward with an initial velocity u,
then a = –g = –9.8 ms –2 and the object will go to a maximum height h
where its final velocity becomes zero (i.e., v = 0).
• Mass: Mass of an object is the measure of its inertia. It is the matter
present in it. It remains the same everywhere in the universe.
• Weight: The force of attraction of the earth on the object is known as
the weight of the object. Its S.I. unit is Newton.
W=m×g
The weight of an object can change from one place to the other, from
one planet to the other.
Weight of an object on moon is given by the formula
W m = weight of an object on moon
M m = mass of the moon = 7.36 × 10 22
R m = radius of the moon = 1.74 × 10 6
G = 6.67 × 10 –11 Nm 2 /lg 2
∴ Weight of an object on moon th the weight of an object on the
earth.
