Flash Cards: GRAVITATION

Gravitation is the force of attraction between any two masses in the universe.

Acceleration due to gravity (g) is the acceleration experienced by an object because of the Earth's gravitational pull, approximately 9.81 m/s².

The geocentric model, proposed by Ptolemy, posits that the Earth is the center of the universe, with all celestial bodies revolving around it.

The heliocentric model, proposed by Copernicus, states that the Sun is at the center of the solar system, with planets orbiting around it.

Kepler's laws describe the motion of planets: 1) Orbits are ellipses, 2) Equal area in equal time, 3) The square of the period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis.

Newton's law states that every point mass attracts every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

The formula is F = G(m1 * m2) / r², where F is the force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses, and r is the distance between their centers.

Gravitational field strength (g) at a point is defined as the force per unit mass experienced by a small test mass placed at that point.

Mass is the quantity of matter in an object (constant), while weight is the force exerted by gravity on that mass (variable).

Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravity alone, without any resistance from air or other forces.

Weightlessness occurs when an object is in free fall, creating a sensation of zero gravitational force on the object.

The period (T) of a satellite is given by T = 2π√(r³/GM), where r is the distance from the center of the Earth, G is the gravitational constant, and M is the mass of the Earth.

Escape velocity is the minimum velocity required for an object to break free from a celestial body's gravitational pull, approximately 11.2 km/s for Earth.

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth's oceans, resulting in variations in sea levels.

Inertia is an object's resistance to changes in motion, while gravity is the force that attracts masses; both influence the state of motion of objects.

No, in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass, as demonstrated by Galileo.