GRAVITATION

IMPORTANT FORMULAS
𝑮𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
1. Newton’s universal law of gravitation F= 𝒓𝟐
𝑮𝑴
2. Acceleration due to gravity g = 𝑹𝟐
Where M is the mass of the earth & G is the universal gravitational constant.
𝟐𝒉
3. Variation of acceleration due to gravity ‘g’ with height : 𝒈𝒉 = 𝒈(𝟏 − )
𝑹
where R is the radius of the earth
𝒅
4. Variation of acceleration due to gravity ‘g’ with depth: 𝒈𝒅 = 𝒈 (𝟏 − 𝑹)
where R is the radius of the earth
𝑮𝑴
5. Gravitational potential at a distance r from the centre of the earth: V = − 𝒓
𝑮𝑴
Gravitational potential on the surface of the earth r = R; V = − 𝑹
−𝑮𝑴𝒎 𝑮𝑴
6. Gravitational potential energy : U = 𝒓 = (− 𝒓 ) × 𝒎
i.e. gravitational potential energy = gravitational × 𝒎𝒂𝒔
𝟏 −𝑮𝑴𝒎
7. Total energy of a body in a gravitational field = K.E + P.E = 𝟐 𝒎𝒗𝟐 + ( )
𝒓
𝟐𝑮𝑴 𝟖𝝅𝝆𝑮𝑹𝟐
8. Escape velocity 𝒗𝒆 = √ = √𝟐𝒈𝑹 = √ where 𝜌 is the mean density of the earth
𝑹 𝟑
& R is the radius of the earth.
9. For the surface of the earth , the value of escape velocity is 11.2 km/s
𝒈
10. Orbital velocity 𝒗𝟎 = 𝑹√𝑹+𝒉 , when the satellite is revolving very close to the surface of
the earth h= 0 ; R is the radius of the earth.
𝑣0 = √𝑔𝑅 = 7.92km/s.

11. Relation between orbital & escape velocity 𝒗𝒆 = √𝟐 𝒗𝒐

(𝑹+𝒉)𝟑
12. Time period of a satellite: T =2𝝅√ 𝑮𝑴
𝑮𝑴
13. Angular momentum of a satellite L = m𝒗𝟎 𝒓 = m√ 𝒓 = √𝑮𝑴𝒎𝟐 𝒓
𝒓
𝑮𝑴𝒎
14. Total energy of a satellite: E = − 𝟐𝒓
𝑮𝑴𝒎
15. Binding energy of the satellite: E = + 𝟐𝒓
16. Kepler’s 1st Law: All planets move in elliptical orbits with the sun situated at one of the
foci of the ellipse.

17. Kepler’s 2nd Law: The line joining any planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal
intervals of time

18. Kepler’s 3rd Law: The Square of the time period of revolution of a planet is proportional
to the cube of the semi-major axis of the ellipse traced out by the planet.
𝑇 2 𝛼 𝑎3
 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (M.C.Q)
Two statements are given-one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R). Select
the correct answer to these from the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) as given below.
(a) Both A & R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A & R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false and R is also false.
1. ASSERTION: The speed of the planet is maximum at perihelion
REASON: The angular momentum of a planet about the centre of the sun is conserved.
2. ASSERTION: Kepler’s third law of planetary motion is valid only for inverse square
law forces.
REASON: Only inverse square law forces are central.
3. ASSERTION : The gravitational force does not depend on the intervening medium
REASON: The value of G has same value everywhere in space.
4. According to Kepler , planets move in
(i) Circular orbits around the sun
(ii) Elliptical orbits around the sun with the sun at exact centre.
 (iii) Straight lines with constant velocity
(iv) Elliptical orbits around the sun with sun at one of its foci.
5. The minimum & maximum distances of a planet revolving around the sun are r & R. If
the minimum speed of the planet on its trajectory is 𝑣0, its maximum speed will be
𝑣0 𝑅
(i) 𝑟
𝑣0 𝑟
(ii) 𝑅
𝑣0 𝑅2
(iii) 𝑟2
𝑣0 𝑟2
(iv) 𝑅2
6. Two point masses m & 4m are separated by a distance d on a line. A third point mass m0
is to be placed at a point on the line such that the net gravitational force on it is zero.

(i) d/2
(ii) d/4
(iii) d/3
(iv) d/5
7. Three particles A,B,C each of mass m are lying at the corners of an equilateral triangle of
side L. If a particle A is released keeping the particles B & C fixed, The magnitude of
instantaneous acceleration of A is

𝐺𝑀 2
(i) √3 𝐿2
𝐺𝑀 2
(ii) √2 𝐿2
𝐺𝑀
(iii) √2 𝐿2
𝐺𝑀
(iv) √3 𝐿2
8. At what height above the surface of the earth the value of “g” decreases by 2% [radius of
the earth is 6400km]
(i) 32km
(ii) 64km
(iii) 128km
(iv) 1600km
9. If the change in the value of g at a height h above the surface of the earth is same as at a
depth x below it, (x & h being much smaller than the radius of the earth)
(i) x=h
(ii) x = 2h
 ℎ
(iii) x=2
(iv) x = ℎ2
10. An object is taken to a height 2R above the surface of the earth, the increase in potential
energy is [R is the radius of the earth]
𝑚𝐺𝑅
(i) 2
𝑚𝐺𝑅
(ii) 3
2𝑚𝐺𝑅
(iii)
3
(iv) 2𝑚𝐺𝑅
11. A stationary object is released from a point P at a distance 3R from the centre of the
moon which has a radius R & mass M. Which of the following gives the speed of the
object on hitting the moon

2𝐺𝑀
(i) √ 3𝑅
4𝐺𝑀
(ii) √ 3𝑅
𝐺𝑀
(iii) √ 3𝑅
𝐺𝑀
(iv) √ 𝑅
12. If an object is projected vertically upwards with speed, half the escape speed of the earth,
then the maximum height attained by it is [R is the radius of the earth]
(i) R
(ii) R/2
(iii) 2R
(iv) R/3
13. A body is thrown with a velocity equal to” n” times the escape velocity𝑣𝑒 . Velocity of the
body at a large distance away will be
(i) 𝑣𝑒 √𝑛 2 − 1
(ii) 𝑣𝑒 √𝑛 2 + 1
(iii) 𝑣𝑒 √1 − 𝑛 2
(iv) 𝑁𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒
 CASE BASED QUESTIONS

14. If a stone is thrown by hand, we see it falls back to the earth. Of course using machines
we can shoot an object with much greater speeds and with greater and greater initial
speed, the object scales higher and higher heights. A natural query that arises in our mind
is the following: can we throw an object with such high initial speeds that it does not fall
back to the earth?
Thus minimum speed required to throw object to infinity away from earth’s gravitational
field is called escape velocity.
Ve = √(2gr)
Where g is acceleration due to gravity and r is radius of earth and after solving v e 11.2 km/s. This
is called the escape speed, sometimes loosely called the escape velocity. This applies equally
well to an object thrown from the surface of the moon with g replaced by the acceleration due to
Moon’s gravity on its surface and r replaced by the radius of the moon. Both are smaller than
their values on earth and the escape speed for the moon turns out to be 2.3 km/s, about five times
smaller. This is the reason that moon has no atmosphere. Gas molecules if formed on the surface
of the moon having velocities larger than this will escape the gravitational pull of the moon.
Earth satellites are objects which revolve around the earth. Their motion is very similar to the
motion of planets around the Sun and hence Kepler’s laws of planetary motion are equally
applicable to them. In particular, their orbits around the earth are circular or elliptic. Moon is the
only natural satellite of the earth with a near circular orbit with a time period of approximately
27.3 days which is also roughly equal to the rotational period of the moon about its own axis.

i) Why moon does not have any atmosphere?

ii) Two satellites of equal mass are revolving around earth in elliptical orbits of different
semi-major axis. If their angular momenta about earth centre are in the ratio of 3:4,
what is the ratio of their areal velocities?
𝐺𝑀
iii) A body is projected vertically upwards with a speed of √ (M is mass & R is the
𝑅
radius of earth). What will be the height that the body will attain?
OR
A geostationary satellite is orbiting the earth at a height 5R above the surface of the
earth, R being the radius of the earth. What is the time period of another satellite in
hours at a height of 2R from the surface of the earth?

15. LAW OF ORBIT: The orbit of every planet is an ellipse around the sun with sun at one
of the two foci of ellipse.
 LAW OF AREAS: The line that joins a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal
intervals of time. Area covered by the planet while revolving around the sun will be equal
in equal intervals of time. This means the rate of change of area with time is constant
LAW OF PERIOD: According to this law the square of time period of a planet is
directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

Suppose earth is revolving around the sun then the square of the time period (time taken to
complete one revolution around sun) is directly proportional to the cube of the semi major axis.

i) The time period of planet A around the sun is 8 times that of B. The distance of A
from the sun is how many times greater than that of B from the sun?
ii) The figure shows elliptical orbit of a planet m about the sun S. The shaded area
SCD is twice the shaded area SAB. If 𝑡1 is the time for the planet to move from C
to D & 𝑡2 is the time taken to move from A to B then which time 𝑡1 & 𝑡2 is more
& why?

iii) What is the ratio of kinetic energy of a planet at perigee & apogee during its
motion around the sun in elliptical orbit of eccentricity e?
OR
Two satellites of mass m & 2m are revolving in two circular orbits of radii r & 2r
around an imaginary planet, on the surface of which gravitational force is
inversely proportional to distance from its centre. What is the ratio of orbital
speed of the satellites?