Student Activity
Gravity's Big Reach!


Copy Master

  1. Use the graph provided to determine the local gravitational field strength on the Earth's surface (radius 6.4 x 103 km).

  2. Use the graph provided to determine the local acceleration (due to gravity) on the Earth's surface (radius 6.4 x 103 km).

  3. Use the graph provided to determine the local gravitational field strength on the Earth's surface if the Earth's radius were to mysteriously increase to 1.0 x 104 km).

  4. Use the graph provided to determine the local acceleration (due to gravity) on the Earth's surface if the Earth's radius were to mysteriously increase to 1.0 x 104 km).

  5. Use the graph provided to determine the local gravitational field strength on the Earth's surface if the Earth's radius were to mysteriously decrease to 5.0 x 103 km).

  6. Use the graph provided to determine the local acceleration (due to gravity) on the Earth's surface if the Earth's radius were to mysteriously decrease to 5.0 x 103 km).

  7. Show by dimensional analysis that N/kg is dimensionally the same as m/s2.

  8. Using the expression

    gm = GMe /rm2

    Determine the acceleration of the moon gm towards the Earth (mass Me) and where rm is the mean distance to the Moon.

  9. Calculate the local gravitational acceleration on the surface of the Moon due to the Moon's mass.

  10. Calculate the local gravitational acceleration on the surface of Mars due to its mass.

G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2
rm = 3.8 x 108 m (variable due to the eccentricity of the Moon's orbit)
Me = 5.97 x 1022 kg
Mass of the Moon = 7.34 x 1023 kg
Radius of the Moon =1.74 x 106 m
Mass of Mars = 6.35 x 1023 kg
Radius of Mars = 3.40 x 106 m

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