1.
Gravitation:
Gravitation is the force of attraction between any two objects in the
universe. It is a universal force that acts on all objects with mass.
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2. Newton’s Law of Gravitation:
Newton's law of universal gravitation states that:
> Every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that
is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Formula:
F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}
: Gravitational force
: Masses of the two objects
: Distance between the centers of the two objects
: Gravitational constant
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3. Gravitational Force:
It is a non-contact force.
It acts along the line joining the centers of the two objects.
It is always attractive in nature.
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4. Gravitational Constant ():
The gravitational constant is a universal constant used in the formula for
the gravitational force. It has a fixed value:
G = 6.67 \times 10^{-11} \, \text{Nm}^2\text{kg}^{-2}
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5. Free Fall:
When an object falls towards the Earth solely under the influence of
gravitational force, it is said to be in free fall.
The acceleration experienced by the object during free fall is called
acceleration due to gravity ().
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6. Acceleration Due to Gravity ():
It is the acceleration produced in an object due to the Earth's gravitational
pull.
The value of on Earth is approximately:
g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2
Relation between and :
g = G \frac{M}{R^2}
: Mass of the Earth
: Radius of the Earth
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7. Mass and Weight:
Mass: The amount of matter in an object. It is a scalar quantity and remains
constant everywhere.
Weight: The force with which an object is attracted towards the Earth.
W = mg
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8. Universal Law of Gravitation and Motion of Planets:
The gravitational force is responsible for the motion of planets around the
Sun and the Moon around the Earth. This force provides the necessary
centripetal force.
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9. Factors Affecting Gravitational Force:
1. Mass of the objects: Greater mass leads to a stronger gravitational force.
2. Distance between the objects: Greater distance leads to a weaker
gravitational force.
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10. Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion (Introduction):
1. Law of Orbits: Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus.
2. Law of Areas: A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out
equal areas during equal intervals of time.
3. Law of Periods: The square of the orbital period of a planet is
proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
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11. Importance of Gravitation:
Keeps planets in their orbits.
Causes tides on Earth.
Enables objects to stay grounded.
