Newtons Universal Gravitational Law

Question 1

State Newtons law of universal gravitation

Answer 1

Every particle with mass in the universe attracts every other particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres

Question 2

Define weight

Answer 2

The gravitational force the earth exerts on any object on or near its surface

Question 3

Describe a gravitational field

Answer 3

A region in space where a mass will experience a force

Question 4

Distinguish between mass and weight

Answer 4

The mass of an object refers to the amount of matter it contains. It is therefore the measure of inertia of an object(as mass increases, inertia increases) . The si unit for mass is the kilogram(kg)

The weight of an object on earth is the gravitational pull the earth exerts on on it. The si unit for weight is the newton( N)

Question 5

Define gravitational field

Answer 5

The force acting per unit mass