Chapter 4 Flashcards
Gravity-
Fundamental force of nature. Mutually attractive force between two objects with mass.
What was gravity as measured by galileo and how does gravity differ at the equator and poles?
Measured as 9.8 m/s by Galileo. 9.83 at the poles and 9.78 at the equator.
Weight
The gravitation force of a planet acting on an object.
What was the first step Newton Arrived at when figuring out the universal law of gravitation.
Gravitational force= Something * Mass of Earth * Mass of Object
Inverse Square Law
The gravitational force is dependent on the square of the distance between the two objects.
Universal Gravitational Constant
G. Calculated as 6.67 times 10^-11 n^2/m^2
Universal Law of Gravitation
F-grav= G times (M1*M2)/r^2 (distance between center of mass)
Why do we experience gravity as pulling us downward when all object on the surface pull on each other object?
The sideways forces cancel out because the surface is nearly spherical. Therefore the only gravitational force we feel is pulling us down to the center of gravity of earth.
Orbit
Path an object takes when it is free falling around another object.
Free Fall
Falling freely in earth’s gravity never hitting the surface.
Centripetal Force
A force towards the center of a circle.
Circular Velocity
The velocity at which an object must travel in order to orbit in a perfect circle.
Satellite
The less massive object which is orbiting a larger object.
Bound Orbit
An orbit however eccentric that is gravitationally bound to another object.
Escape Velocity
The slowest speed at which an object must reach to no longer be bound to the gravity of another object.
