Introduction to Gravitation and Acceleration Due to Gravity
Have you ever thought about why we always fall down on the earth? Why not upward? Do not worry, today what you need to do is learn from Newton's experience that made him think about the gravitational pull when an apple fell on his head.
Learn about Gravitation on Vedantu
Issac Newton discovered gravitation in the year 1665. Gravitation is the force of attraction between the two bodies in the universe.
Gravitation is a fascinating topic, and to make it more interesting, Vedantu offers a pro class for physics to learn from talented physics experts; experts use 3-D illustrated examples to explain gravity and its associated things.
In this chapter, you will learn one more term, i.e., acceleration due to gravity, that has an essential role in physics. It is the acceleration a body attains when it falls freely under gravity, 'g' represents the acceleration due to gravity.
Difference between Universal Gravitation Constant (G) and Acceleration Due to Gravity (g)
When two bodies feel the force of attraction under the universe, they feel the force equal to or greater than the universal gravitational constant. In simple words, it is the force of attraction two-unit mass bodies feel when they are near a unit distance from their centers.
Students often get confused between the symbols ‘G’ and ‘g’, but Vedantu has come up with the solutions to clear all the confusion. Vedantu not just helps you with the definitions and answers to the problems, it also readily distinguishes the topics. The subject matter expert of physics has explained the difference between the two terms in detail. Learning the difference between topics is essential to excel in them.
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Relation between G and g
In this topic, students also learn about the relation between the universal gravitational constant and acceleration due to gravity. Physics experts have given a detailed explanation in the notes, including the values and units of each quantity. The relation signifies that acceleration due to gravity (g) is directly proportional to the mass of the body to the square of the distance between two objects.
Learn more advanced concepts regarding the same on the Vedantu. You can download these resources from the website or on your device from the Vedantu learning app for free.
Advantages of Vedantu
Vedantu has the best physics faculties for each topic included in your syllabus to help you give in-depth knowledge of the concept. And also explains the importance of that particular topic in regular life.
In the notes, you will find Vedantu has mentioned the significance of gravity and the gravitational pull on the physics of the object. So that students can understand and observe the phenomenon effectively.
With Vedantu, you can access other resources linked with gravitation and gravity. On the website or mobile app, you can explore materials like previous papers of physics, notes of a different chapter, essential questions on gravity and lots of other stuff that helps you get excellent scores in the physics exam. Also, to learn from the expert physics teachers, register for the Vedantu pro class and start learning smartly with the help of illustrated 3-D visuals. To get the benefits of these things, all you have to do is sign up with a valid email address.
FAQs on Relation Between G and g
1. How does acceleration due to gravity vary with the altitude of the earth? Explain giving a complete mathematical expression.
Effect of Altitude
Let us consider the earth to be of mass M, radius R with a center O. Let g be the acceleration due to gravity g at a point P on the surface of the earth.
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Since g = \[\frac {GM} {R^2}\] …(1)
If g’ is the acceleration due to gravity at point h above the surface of the earth then g’ is given by,
g’ = \[\frac {GM} {(R+h)^2}\] …..(2)
eq (2) / eq(1) we get,
g’ / g = \[\frac {R^2} {(R+h)^2}\] = \[\frac {R^2} {(1+h/R)^2}\]
= \[(1+\frac {h} {R})^2\] =\[(1-\frac {2h} {R})\]
(By binomial expansion, (1+x)⁻ⁿ = 1 - n x \[\frac {n(n+1)}{2!}\] x² +......)
When h << R, then h/R is very less (less than unity)
Hence g’ = g \[(\frac {1-2h)}{R})\] .
2. Which law explains the rotation of planets around the sun and the rotation of satellites around the planets?
The universal law of gravitation (stated by Issac Newton) forms the basis of the explanation for the rotation of planets around the sun and the rotation of satellites around the planets.
3. What is gravity made of?
Gravity is made of quantum particles called gravitons. These gravitons are massless, but they do carry energy.
4. Explain that the Universal Gravitational Constant is a scalar quantity?
The Universal Gravitational constant (G) is not in a particular direction, and that’s why it is a scalar quantity. A scalar quantity only has magnitude. Hence gravitational constant (G) has a value of 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 Kg-2 as it does not depend on direction. The strength of the gravitational pull is the same for every direction. A detailed numerical explanation is available in the Vedantu notes, and also, you can learn more about the gravitational constant from them.
5. Explain why the acceleration due to gravity (g) is not a scalar quantity?
Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration a body or an object attains due to the gravitational force. You know that if a quantity has both magnitude and direction, it is a vector quantity. Acceleration due to gravity (g) has a value of 9.8 ms2, and as it acts when the body falls under gravity, that says it has a downward direction. Hence, it is a vector quantity. In the notes, Vedantu has provided an in-depth explanation about acceleration due to gravity. Also, to solve your doubts from the experts of Vedantu, join the online physics tuition class.
6. Does acceleration due to gravity value depend on the mass of the body?
No, the value of acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the mass of the body or an object, as it is a constant value, and it is the same for any object on the earth. You can understand this with an example, suppose you drop a football and an egg from the same height at the same time, you will find both items hit the ground at the same time. To learn this with the help of expression, you can join the physics class of Vedantu.
7. How does Vedantu help you learn Gravitation?
Vedantu offers you lessons with easy and precise explanations; to help you understand the basics of the chapter that enables you to retain the complex concepts clearly for a long duration. Also, it exposes you to the difficult problems on gravitation that involve other essential terms in the solution, which you will learn further in the chapter. Vedantu also provides you with solutions to the questions available in the NCERT textbooks. You can learn this topic with the help of 3-D visuals to break things easily; for that, you have to sign up for Vedantu online classes.
8. What will happen if there is no gravitational force?
If earth loses gravity just for a small fraction of seconds, it will bring the end of life on earth. Gravitational pull pushes each other against artifacts. The bigger an object is, the greater its gravitational attraction. You and all other humans, objects, will become weightless without gravity. The atmosphere will disappear into space without gravitational force, and the earth will stop rotating. And it will collide with the sun without gravitational force. Gravitational force is the reason the earth revolves around the sun.
