3.7 Fields and their consequences Flashcards
What is a force field?
A region in which a body experiences a non-contact force
What is newton’s law of gravitation?
Magnitude of gravitational force between two masses is directly proportional to the product of the masses, and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
What is meant by gravitational field strength?
Force per unit mass exerted by a gravitational field on an object
Gravitational field strength equation: general
g = F/m
Gravitational field strength equation: radial field
g = GM/r²
What is meant by gravitational potential?
The work done required in bringing a unit mass from infinity to the point
What is meant by gravitational potential difference?
The energy required to move a unit mass between two points
Why is gravitational potential energy negative?
- Gravitational potential energy is zero at infinity
- As an object moves from infinity to a point, energy is released as the gravitational potential energy is reduced
- Therefore gravitational potential energy is always negative
How to derive T² = k r^3
Centripetal force = Gravitational force
What is meant by escape velocity?
Minimum velocity an object must travel at in order to escape the gravitational field of a mass
How to derive escape velocity = sqrt(2GM/r)?
kinetic energy = gravitational potential energy
What is a synchronous orbit?
When the orbital period of the satellite is equal to the rotational period of the object that it is orbiting
What is a geostationary orbit? What are its features?
- A synchronous orbit (24 hours) and they always stay above the same point on the Earth, because they orbit directly above the equator
- Only one particular orbit height is possible
- Travels west to east
Application of low-orbit satellites?
Monitoring weather and military applications
What is meant by electric field strength?
Force per unit positive charge experienced by an object in an electric field
E (electric field strength in general) equation
E = F/Q (by definition!)
E (electric field strength for uniform fields formed by parallel plates) equation
E = V/D
E (electric field strength for radial fields) equation
E = kQ/r²
What is k in electric fields?
8.99E+9 (1/4piEpsilon0)
What do electric field lines show?
The direction of the force acting on a positive charge, and the strength go the field depending on the density of the field lines
What do fields lines look like in a uniform field?
Equally spaced and parallel
Why can use 1/4piEpsilon0 when in air?
Air can be treated as a vacuum when calculating force between charges
Derivation of ΔW= Q ΔV for moving charges between parallel plates
- F = EQ
- d = ΔV/E
- ΔW= F x d = (EQ) x (ΔV/E) = Q ΔV
Path shape of charged particle fired at right angles through an electric field
Parabola (constant force -> constant acceleration)
What is absolute electric potential?
Potential energy per unit charge of a positive point charge at a point in the field
Where is absolute electric potential greatest?
At surface of the charge
Where is absolute electric potential greatest?
At surface of the charge
What is electric potential difference?
Work done needed to move a unit charge between two points
Capacitance equation
Q = CV
Define capacitance
The charge stored by a capacitor per unit potential difference across it
Equation for the dielectric constant
permittivity of medium / permittivity of free space
How do dielectrics work?
- Polar molecules align with their positive side facing the negative plate (and vice versa)
- Producing a counter electric field, reducing the field strength between the places
- The pd V decreases between the capacitor but charge Q remains the same
- So capacitance Q/V increases