Tuition Classes IX (CBSE) Module-II

PHYSICS

CHAPTER - 01
GRAVITATION

Gravity is one of the most basic forces in the universe. It plays a fundamental role not only in the
structure of our solar system but also in the way objects behave on Earth.
GRAVITATION
Gravitation is the force of attraction between two objects in the universe. Gravitation may be the
attraction of objects by the earth. This force is proportional to the product of masses of the objects and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. It is independent of medium.
Gravitational force= GMm/ r2
Eg :- If a body is dropped from a certain height, it falls downwards due to earth's gravity. If a body is thrown
upwards, it reaches a certain height and then falls downwards due to the earth's gravity.
 Gravitation may be the attraction between objects in outer space.
Eg :- Attraction between the earth and moon.
Attraction between the sun and planets.
1 GRAVITY
 A natural force that pulls all objects toward the center of the earth
 Keeps the moon orbiting
 It holds stars together . . .
 And binds galaxies together for billions of years….Prevents Planets from losing their atmospheres.
2. Universal law of gravitation:
 The universal law of gravitation states that, 'Every object in the universe attracts every other object
with a force which is directly proportional to product of the masses and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them.'
F= GMm/r2
G - Universal gravitational constant.
G = 6.67 x 10 -11Nm2/Kg2
r - Distance b/w the centres of masses
 The strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects depends on two factors:
o How big the objects are (how much mass they have) and
o How far apart they are.
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3. Free Fall
 With negligible air resistance, falling objects can be considered freely falling. Objects of different
shapes accelerate differently (stone vs feather)
4 .To calculate the value of" g"(acceleration due to gravity)
 The acceleration due to gravity is denoted by g.

 The unit of g is same as the unit of acceleration

 From the second law of motion, force is the product of mass and acceleration. F = ma

 For free fall, force is the product of mass and acceleration due to gravity.

F= mg or GMm/ r2 = mg
g = GM/r2
 For objects near or on the surface of the earth r is equal to the radius of the earth R

5. Mass and Weight:

 Mass is a fundamental, universal property. You have the same amount of mass no matter where you
are in the Universe.
 Weight is not fundamental its value depends on circumstances in the Universe.Weight is a force. It is
the resultant gravitational force exerted on a body with mass m by all the other bodies in the Universe.

Mass Weight

1 Mass of an object can be measured by its inertia 1) weight = mass x acceleration = mg

2 It is the total quantity of matter contained in a body 2) It is gravitational force by which earth attracts an object

3 It remains constant at all the places 3) It is different at different places

4 It can be measured by using a pan or beam balance 4) It can be measured by using spring balance

5 Mass of a body cannot be zero 5) It becomes zero if g is zero

6 Its unit is Kg 6) Its unit is newton (N)

Weight = F = GMm/R2,

where M is the mass of the Earth and R is the radius of the Earth.

6. Weight of the object on Moon

 The mass of the moon is less than the mass of the earth. So the moon exerts lesser force on the
objects than the earth.

 The weight of an object on the moon is one sixth of its weight on the earth.

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 Tuition Classes IX (CBSE) Module-II

 The weight of an object on the earth is the force with which the earth attracts the object and the weight
of an object on the moon is the force with which the moon attracts the object.

Celestial Mass Radius

body (Kg) (m)
Earth 5.98 x 6400 x
1024 103
Moon 7.36 x 1.74 x 10
1022 6

7. Thrust & Pressure

 Thrust is the force acting on an object perpendicular to the surface.

 Pressure is the force acting on unit area of a surface

 Pressure = force / unit area

 The SI unit of pressure is N/m2. It is called Pascal (Pa).

8. Pressure in Fluids

 Fluids exert pressure in all directions

 Pressure exerted on fluids is transmitted equally in all directions.

9. Buoyancy
 When an object is immersed in a fluid it experiences an upward force called buoyant force. This
property is called buoyancy or upthrust.

10. Why objects float or sink when placed on the surface of water?

 Take some water in a beaker. Take a piece of cork and an iron nail of the same mass.Place them on
the water. The cork floats and the nail sinks.

 If the density of an object is less than the density of a liquid, it will float on the liquid and if the density of
an object is more than the density of a liquid, it will sink in the liquid.

11. Archimedes Principle

 Archimedes' principle states that, when a body is partially or fully immersed in a fluid it experiences an
upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it.'

12. Relative density

 The relative density of a substance is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water. It
is a ratio of similar quantities and has no unit.

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QUESTIONS
1. Newton’s law of gravitation is valid
A) on the earth only B) on the moon only C) in the laboratory only D) everywhere
2. When a body is thrown up, the force of gravity is
A) in the upward direction B) in the downward direction
C) zero D) in the horizontal direction
3. What happen to the acceleration due to gravity with the increase in altitude from the surface of the
earth?
A) Increase B) Decrease C) First decreases and then increases
4. Which of the following statements is /are correct?
1) Mass of an object is the measure of its inertia.
2) Heavier the object smaller is the inertia
3) The mass of an object is variable
A) only 1 B) 1 and 3 C) 2 and 3 D) 1 and 2
5. The mass of a body is measured to be 12 kg on the earth. If it is taken to the moon, its mass will be
1) 12 kg 2) 6 kg 3) 2 kg 4) 72kg
6. Which of the following statements is true?
A) g is same at all places on the surface of earth.
B) g has its maximum value at the equator
C) g is less at the earth’s surface than at a height above it or a depth below it.
D) g is greater at the poles than at the equator
7. If more force is required to bring a body into a unit acceleration, the body has
A) less mass B) zero mass
C) more mass D) mass is independent of force
8. The weight of a body is 120 N on the earth. If it is taken to the moon, its weight will be about
A) 120 N B) 60 N C) 20 N D) 720 N
9. The value of acceleration due to gravity at the Mount Everest is
A) g B) >g C) <g D) zero
10. Which of the following is correct?
A) Weight is a scalar quantity
B) Weight is not a fundamental quantity
C) Weight is not depend on acceleration due to gravity
D) None of these
11. Gravitational force is a
A) repulsive force B) attractive force
C) neither A nor B D) both A and B
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 Tuition Classes IX (CBSE) Module-II

12. A coin and a feather are dropped together in a vacuum. Then

A) the coin will reach the ground first
B) the feather will reach the ground first
C) both will reach the ground at the same time
D) the feather will not fall down
13. Gravitational force is the
A) weakest force B) strongest force C) short- range force D) non- central force
14. The universal constant of gravitation G has the unit
A) N B) m/s2 C) (NM2)/kg2 D) J
15. The mass of a body is increased 4 fold and mass of other body is increased 16 fold. How should the
distance between them be changed to keep the same gravitational force between them?

1 1
A) 4 times B) times C) 8 times D) times
4 8
16. When you put an object on a spring balance, what do you measure?
A) Weight B) Force C) Mass D) Acceleration
17. Acceleration due to gravity is maximum at (R is the radius of earth)

R
A) a height from the earth’s surface B) the centre of the earth
2

R
C) the surface of the earth D) a depth from earth’s surface
2
18. The value of G was first determined experimentally by
A) Newton B) Henry Cavendish C) Kepler D) Galileo
19. Keplers second law is known as
A) The Law of Orbits B) The law of Areas C) The law of periods D) The law of Gravity
20. The formula for Keplers third law is

A) T 2  r 3 B) T 3  r 3 C) T 3  r 3 D) T 2  r 2