GRAVITATIONAL LAWS and

CENTRIPETAL MOTIONS
for GENERAL PHYSICS 1/ Grade 12
Quarter 2/ Week 2

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OBJECTIVES
At the end of this Self-Learning Kit, you should be able to:
K: enumerate the significance of the gravitational attraction of the earth to
other bodies; understand the concept of centripetal force.
S: solve problems involving Newton’s gravitational laws and centripetal
acceleration
A: recognize activities that works under the laws of gravitation and centripetal
motion

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
Use Newton’s law of gravitation to infer gravitational force, weight, and
acceleration due to gravity (STEM_GP12G-IIb-16).

Discuss the physical significance of gravitational field (STEM_GP12Red-

IIb-18).

Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in physics

problems (STEM_GP12Red-IIb-19).

Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion

(STEM_GP12Red-IIb-20).

For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion to

Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation and Centripetal acceleration
(STEM_GP12G-IIc-22).

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II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
DISCUSSION:

Newton’s Law of Gravitation

The idea of an attraction that keeps the Moon circling Earth dawned
on Isaac Newton while he was sitting under an apple tree. He discovered
that the interaction that keeps an apple fall out of a tree is the same
attraction that keeps planets in their orbits around the sun.

In 1687, he published the law of gravitation. It states that: “Every

particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that
is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them” (Young,
Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402–36).

Law of gravitation formula :

where 𝐹g is the magnitude of the gravitational force on

either particle, 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 are their masses, 𝑟 is the
distance between them, and 𝐺 is the fundamental
physical constant called the gravitational constant”
(Young, Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402–36).

The greater the particles’ masses the greater the gravitational force.

The greater the distance between these particles, in inverse proportion

to the square of the distance between them, the weaker the gravitational
force.

“Gravitational interaction of any two bodies having spherically

symmetric mass distributions is the same as though we concentrated all the
mass of each at its center” (Young, Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402– 36). Thus,
if in the case we will consider the gravitational force exerted by Earth on a
comet, the Earth can be treated as a particle since it is spherical and the
comet is outside the Earth (Katz 2017, 184-212). In this case, the gravitational
force acts as if the sphere’s mass is concentrated in the center.

In finding the value of 𝐺, the gravitational constant, we have to

“measure the gravitational force between two bodies of known masses 𝑚1
and 𝑚2 at a known distance. The gravitational
constant is

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 The weight of a body is the total gravitational force exerted on the body
by all other bodies in the universe (Young, Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402–36).

The weight 𝑤 of the small body of mass 𝑚 at the earth’s surface is

The weight 𝑤 of a body is the force that causes the acceleration 𝑔 of free
fall and so by Newton’s second law, 𝑤 = 𝑚𝑔. Equating this with Equation 2, we
get

At a point above the earth’s surface a distance 𝑟 from the center of the
earth, the weight of the body is

SAMPLE PROBLEM

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The Gravitational Field

Gravitational field is defined as “equal to the universal gravitational

constant (G) times the object’s mass (M), divided by the square of the
distance from the object’s center (r). The direction is toward the mass’s
center.” In symbols,

The field exerts a force on the particle rather than consider a direct
interaction between two particles. The gravitational field is defined as

The gravitational field at a point in space equals the gravitational force

experienced by a test particle placed at that point divided by the mass of
the test particle. The object creating the field is the source particle. In
essence, “it is describing the “effect” that any object has on the space
around itself in terms of the force that would be present if a second object
were somewhere in that space” (Serway and Jewett 2008, 372 – 375).

“Consider an object of mass m near the Earth’s surface. Because the

gravitational force acting on the object has a magnitude of (where
𝑚𝐸 is the mass of Earth; 𝑟 is the distance from the center of the Earth), the field
at a distance 𝑟 is

𝑟 is a unit vector pointing radially outward from Earth

and the negative sign indicates that the field points
toward the center of the Earth”.

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Gravitational Potential Energy: Revisited

Gravitational potential energy has been defined in a system consisting

of the Earth and an object of mass m near the Earth’s surface and height of
the object above or below some reference level. It is given by 𝑃𝐸 = 𝑚𝑔𝑦. It is
valid if the object is near the Earth’s surface. For objects high above the
Earth’s surface, an alternative must be used because “𝑔 varies with distance
from the surface” (Serway and Vuille 2012).

“The gravitational potential energy associated with an object of mass

𝑚 at a distance 𝑟 from the center of Earth is

Where G – gravitational constant= 6.67𝑥10 − 11𝑁𝑚2/𝑘𝑔2,

ME- mass of the earth= 5.98𝑥1024𝑘𝑔, m = mass of object
where 𝑀E and 𝑅E are the mass and radius of the Earth,
respectively, with 𝑟 > 𝑅E.

Consider Figure 2. As discussed in Young,

Freeman and Lewis (2012, 409-10), where 𝑃𝐸 is
represented by 𝑈, when the body moves away
from the Earth, 𝑟 increases, the gravitational
force does negative work, and 𝑃𝐸 increases.
When the body “falls” toward the Earth, 𝑟
decreases, the gravitational force does positive
work, and 𝑃𝐸 decreases.

APE= change in potential energy

PEF= trial potential energy
Pei= initial potential energy
Retrieved from Young, Freeman and
Lewis (2012)

Figure 2. The gravitational potential

energy depends on r between the
body of mass m and the center of
the Earth.

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Satellites: Circular Orbits

The Earth’s gravitational attraction is the only force acting on a satellite

in circular orbit around the Earth (Young, Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402–36).
The attraction is directed toward the center of the Earth and toward the
center of the orbit. Satellite is in uniform circular orbit and that it has a
constant speed. They are not falling toward the Earth, but that it is falling
around the Earth. Same authors pointed out that “in a circular orbit the
speed is just right to keep the distance from the satellite to the center of the
Earth constant.”

Combining centripetal acceleration and Newton’s second law, we will get

Solving for the speed of a satellite in circular orbit about Earth, 𝑣, we get

Radius 𝑟, measured from the center of the Earth, and the speed 𝑣 are
not independent; for a given radius 𝑟, the speed 𝑣 for a circular orbit is
determined. The motion of a satellite does not depend on its mass. Deriving
the relationship between the radius 𝑟 of a circular orbit and the period (the
time for one revolution), combining the speed of the satellite equation to
equation 𝑣 = 2𝜋𝑟 𝑇, yields

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 Using the equation for the gravitational potential energy
and speed of satellite in a circular orbit, the total mechanical energy 𝐸 = 𝐾𝐸 +
𝑃𝐸 is determined:

The total mechanical energy in a circular orbit is negative and equal to

one-half the potential energy (Young, Freedman, and Ford 2012, 402–36).

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Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion and Newton’s Universal Law of
Gravitation

Kepler’s Three Laws

1. Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun as
the focus.

Figure 3 shows a picture of an ellipse. It is

constructed by specifying two focus points, F1
and F2, of the ellipse. All points on the ellipse, such
Adapted from Kepler's Laws
as P in Figure 3, have the property that the sum of
and Newton's Laws
the distance between P and F1 and the distance (mtholyoke.edu)
between P and F2 is a constant. The dimension of
an ellipse is often described by giving its major Figure 3. An ellipse
axis and minor axis. In descriptions of orbits in the solar system, however, it
is more common to use the semi-major axis to describe the size of the
orbit, and the eccentricity of the ellipse to describe its shape. The
eccentricity is given by the ratio of the distance between the two focus
points to the length of the major axis of the ellipse.

2. A planet covers the same area of space

in the same amount of time no matter
where it is in its orbit.
 Figure 4 illustrates Kepler's Second Law.
Consider the line between the Sun and
point A on the elliptical orbit. After a
certain amount of time, the planet will Fig. 4 Adapted from Kepler's
have moved along the orbit to point B, Laws and Newton's Laws
(mtholyoke.edu)
and the line between the Sun and the
planet will have swept over the cross hatched area in the figure.
Kepler's Second Law states that for any two positions of the planet
along the orbit that are separated by the same amount of time, the
area swept out in this manner will be the same. Thus, suppose that it
takes the planet the same amount of time to go between positions C
and D as it did for the planet to go between positions A and B. Kepler's
Second Law then tells us that the second cross hatched area
between C, D, and the Sun will be the same as the cross hatched area
between A, B, and the Sun.

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 3. A planet’s orbital period is proportional to
the size of its orbit (its semi-major axis)
 The squares of the orbital periods of the
planets are directly proportional to the
cubes of the semi major axes of their
orbits. Kepler’s Third law implies that the
period for a planet to orbit the sun
increases rapidly with the radius of its
Fig. 5 Adapted from Kepler's
orbit. This is why each planet has
Laws and Newton's Laws
certain number of days to completely (mtholyoke.edu)
revolve around the sun.

p2 = a 3 Equation 1

Law of Gravitation

What is the force that keeps the earth going around the sun? – Force!
Though Kepler hadn’t known about gravitation when he came up with his
three laws, they were instrumental in Isaac Newton deriving his theory of
universal gravitation, which explains the unknown force behind Kepler’s Third
law. Kepler and his theories were crucial in the better understanding of our
solar system.

Newton’s Ways of Describing Motion

These are the steps that Newton took to finally arrive at providing the
universal law of gravitation.

1. Newton used the method of specifying an objects position at different

times to describe motion of an object.
 One way to describe the motion of an
object it to specify its position at
different times. For a planetary orbit,
we can describe the orbit in the same
way, by providing the position of the
planet along the orbit for all times.
Figure 6 shows the location of planet
earth at different times (by month).

Fig. 6 Adapted from

https://jimmyprophet.files.wordpr
ess.com/

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 2. He used the velocity of an object.
 Velocity is defined to be the change of position with change in
time. Thus, for a planet moving along an orbit, we can find the
velocity by dividing the distance travelled by the time it takes to
travel that distance. Velocity always is specified by both a value
and a direction.
3. He used the acceleration of the object.
 Just as the velocity describes the rate of
change in the position of the object, the
acceleration describes the rate of change of
the velocity. Acceleration is not necessarily in
the same direction as the velocity.
Understanding the solar system is the case of
uniform circular motion. The speed is constant
in this motion, but the direction is changing
continuously. The acceleration in this special
case of circular motion is called Fig. 7 Adapted from
the centripetal acceleration. It is always in the Kepler's Laws and
Newton's Laws
direction of the center of the circle. We can (mtholyoke.edu)
solve the centripetal acceleration by the
formula,

A = v2 / R

CIRCULAR MOTION

During circular motion, the centripetal force has a constant

magnitude.

In symbol:

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 The Universal Law of Gravitation is usually stated as an equation:

Fg = G M1 M2 / r2

Where Fg is the attractive gravitational

force between two objects of
mass M1 and M2 separated by a distance r. The
constant G in the equation is called the Universal
Constant of Gravitation.

The value of G is:

G = 6.67 X 10-11 Nm2 / kg2

Newton's great step was developing this law and using it, with his laws
of motion, to explain the motion of lots of different things --- from falling
objects to planets. Amazingly, out of these simple and general rules, Newton
was able to show that all of Kepler's descriptive laws for orbits followed as a
direct consequence.

When you combine Newton's gravitation and circular acceleration,

which must balance in order for the object to remain in orbit, you get a nice
relation between the period, distance, and mass of the central body. It
beings by equating the centripetal force (Fcent) due to the circular motion to
the gravitational force (Fgrav):

Fgrav = Fcent

Fgrav = G m1 m2 / r2
Fcent = m2 V2 /r

Let the Earth be m1 and the Moon be m2. For circular motion the
distance r is the semi-major axis a. The orbital velocity of the Moon can be
described as distance/time, or circumference of the circular orbit divided by
the orbital period:

V = 2 π r /P

so setting the forces equal yields

G m1 m2 / a2 = m2 V2 /a

Note that the m2 will cancel, so that circular orbital motion is

independent of the mass of the orbiting body!

G m1 / a2 = ((2 π a)2/P2)/a

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which we rearrange to place all the a-terms on the right and all the P-terms
on the left:

G m1/(4 π 2) P2 = a3

which should look startlingly like Kepler's third law, but this time for the Earth's
mass (or any other) instead of the sun's mass. To use a and P to solve for mass,
manipulate once more so that

m1 = a3 (4 π 2/G) / P2.

Sample Problems:

1. Determine the gravitational force between a 60-kg and a 70-kg person

who are both standing 2.0 m apart.

Given: m1 = 60 kg; m2 = 70 kg; r = 2.0 m

Find: Fg

Solution: 𝐹𝑔 = G m 1m 2 /𝑑2

2. A saleslady, whose mass is 52 kg, is

doing a product demonstration in front
of costumers. She exerts a gravitational
force of 7.45 x 10-8 N on a 57-kg
woman who is standing in the front
row. How far is the woman from the
saleslady?
Given:

Fg = 7.45 x 10-8 N

m1 = 60 kg

m2 = 70 kg

Find: d

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 3. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a mean orbital radius of 1.22 x 109
m. The orbital period of Titan is 15.95 days. Hyperion, another moon of
Saturn, orbits at a mean radius of 1.48 x 109 m. Use Kepler’s Third Law of
Planetary Motion to predict the orbital period to predict the orbital
period of Hyperion in days.
Given: Solution:

rT = 1.22 x 109 m
TT = 15.95 days
rH = 1.48 x 109 m
TH = ?

4. A 900-kg car moving at 10 m/s takes a turn around a circle with a

radius of 25.0 m. Determine the acceleration and the net force acting
upon the car.

The solution of this problem begins with the identification of the known
and requested information.

Given:
m = 900 kg
v = 10.0 m/s
R = 25.0 m

Find:
a=?
Fnet = ?

To determine the acceleration of the car, use the equation a = v 2 / R.

The solution is as follows:

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