Step | Formula Derivation | Reasoning |
---|---|---|
1 | F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} | Newton’s law of universal gravitation, where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m_1 and m_2 are the masses, and r is the distance between the centers of the two objects. |
2. Magnitude of the Force Acting on the Larger Object
Step | Explanation |
---|---|
1 | The magnitude of the force on the larger object is equal to the magnitude of the force on the smaller object (Newton’s Third Law). |
3. Acceleration of the Smaller Object
Step | Formula Derivation | Reasoning |
---|---|---|
1 | a = \frac{F}{m_1} | Acceleration of the smaller object, where F is the gravitational force and m_1 is its mass. |
Let’s perform the calculations using these steps.
Phy can also check your working. Just snap a picture!
Find the net gravitational force on a 2.0 kg sphere midway between a 4.0 kg sphere and a 7.0 kg sphere that are 1.2 m apart.
In 2014, the European Space Agency placed a satellite in orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and then landed a probe on the surface. The actual orbit was elliptical, but we can approximate it as a 50 km diameter circular orbit with a period of 11 days.
The gravitational force that the moon exerts on Earth is often cited as the source for the tides we witness. However, the gravitational force the Sun exerts on Earth is over 100 times greater than the force the moon exerts on Earth.
Why is the force from the moon credited for the tides, and not the force from the sun?
Two satellites are in circular orbits around Earth. Satellite A has speed vA . Satellite B has an orbital radius nine times that of satellite A. What is the speed of satellite B?
Consider a neutron star with a mass equal to the sun, a radius of 10 km, and a rotation period of 1.0 s. What is the radius of a geosynchronous orbit about the neutron star? The mass of the sun can be found in the formula sheet above.
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Kinematics | Forces |
---|---|
\Delta x = v_i t + \frac{1}{2} at^2 | F = ma |
v = v_i + at | F_g = \frac{G m_1m_2}{r^2} |
a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} | f = \mu N |
R = \frac{v_i^2 \sin(2\theta)}{g} |
Circular Motion | Energy |
---|---|
F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r} | KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 |
a_c = \frac{v^2}{r} | PE = mgh |
KE_i + PE_i = KE_f + PE_f |
Momentum | Torque and Rotations |
---|---|
p = m v | \tau = r \cdot F \cdot \sin(\theta) |
J = \Delta p | I = \sum mr^2 |
p_i = p_f | L = I \cdot \omega |
Simple Harmonic Motion |
---|
F = -k x |
T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}} |
T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}} |
Constant | Description |
---|---|
g | Acceleration due to gravity, typically 9.8 , \text{m/s}^2 on Earth’s surface |
G | Universal Gravitational Constant, 6.674 \times 10^{-11} , \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2 |
\mu_k and \mu_s | Coefficients of kinetic (\mu_k) and static (\mu_s) friction, dimensionless. Static friction (\mu_s) is usually greater than kinetic friction (\mu_k) as it resists the start of motion. |
k | Spring constant, in \text{N/m} |
M_E = 5.972 \times 10^{24} , \text{kg} | Mass of the Earth |
M_M = 7.348 \times 10^{22} , \text{kg} | Mass of the Moon |
M_M = 1.989 \times 10^{30} , \text{kg} | Mass of the Sun |
Variable | SI Unit |
---|---|
s (Displacement) | \text{meters (m)} |
v (Velocity) | \text{meters per second (m/s)} |
a (Acceleration) | \text{meters per second squared (m/s}^2\text{)} |
t (Time) | \text{seconds (s)} |
m (Mass) | \text{kilograms (kg)} |
Variable | Derived SI Unit |
---|---|
F (Force) | \text{newtons (N)} |
E, PE, KE (Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy) | \text{joules (J)} |
P (Power) | \text{watts (W)} |
p (Momentum) | \text{kilogram meters per second (kgm/s)} |
\omega (Angular Velocity) | \text{radians per second (rad/s)} |
\tau (Torque) | \text{newton meters (Nm)} |
I (Moment of Inertia) | \text{kilogram meter squared (kgm}^2\text{)} |
f (Frequency) | \text{hertz (Hz)} |
General Metric Conversion Chart
Example of using unit analysis: Convert 5 kilometers to millimeters.
Start with the given measurement: \text{5 km}
Use the conversion factors for kilometers to meters and meters to millimeters: \text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}}
Perform the multiplication: \text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}} = 5 \times 10^3 \times 10^3 \, \text{mm}
Simplify to get the final answer: \boxed{5 \times 10^6 \, \text{mm}}
Prefix | Symbol | Power of Ten | Equivalent |
---|---|---|---|
Pico- | p | 10^{-12} | 0.000000000001 |
Nano- | n | 10^{-9} | 0.000000001 |
Micro- | µ | 10^{-6} | 0.000001 |
Milli- | m | 10^{-3} | 0.001 |
Centi- | c | 10^{-2} | 0.01 |
Deci- | d | 10^{-1} | 0.1 |
(Base unit) | – | 10^{0} | 1 |
Deca- or Deka- | da | 10^{1} | 10 |
Hecto- | h | 10^{2} | 100 |
Kilo- | k | 10^{3} | 1,000 |
Mega- | M | 10^{6} | 1,000,000 |
Giga- | G | 10^{9} | 1,000,000,000 |
Tera- | T | 10^{12} | 1,000,000,000,000 |
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