Q1: What is Gravitational Force and Gravity?
A: Gravitational force is the attractive force exerted by objects with mass. It is responsible for the Earth’s gravity, planetary orbits, and several everyday phenomena.
Gravitation or gravity is the force of attraction between any two bodies. All the objects in the universe attract each other with a certain amount of force, but in most cases, the force is too weak to be observed due to the very large distance of separation. Besides, gravity’s range is infinite, but the effect becomes weaker as objects move away.
Q2: What are some real-life examples of gravitational force?
1. Gravitational Force of Earth
- Every object on Earth experiences gravitational pull.
- We cannot freely float in the air because of gravity, which keeps us on the ground.
- If an object is dropped, it naturally falls towards the Earth’s center.
2. Gravitational Force Between Earth and Moon
- The Moon orbits the Earth due to Earth’s gravitational pull.
- The gravitational force formula helps calculate this force.
- The force between Earth and Moon is 2 × 10²⁰ N.
3. Gravitational Force of the Sun
- The Sun’s massive mass exerts gravitational force on planets.
- This force causes planets to revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits.
- The force acting on Earth from the Sun is 3.5 × 10²² N.
FAQs on Gravitational Force
Q1: Why does gravity pull objects towards the Earth?
A: Gravity is a force that attracts objects towards the center of mass. Since Earth’s mass is large, it pulls objects towards it.
Q2: How does the gravitational force between two objects change with distance?
A: According to Newton’s law of gravitation, the force decreases with the square of the distance between the objects.
Q3: Why don’t we feel the gravitational force between small objects?
A: Gravitational force is proportional to mass. Since everyday objects have small masses compared to celestial bodies, their gravitational attraction is negligible.
MCQs on Gravitational Force
Q1: Which force is responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the Sun?
A) Magnetic Force
B) Gravitational Force
C) Nuclear Force
D) Electrostatic Force
Answer: B) Gravitational Force
Explanation: The gravitational force of the Sun pulls planets, keeping them in elliptical orbits.
Q2: What happens to the gravitational force if the distance between two objects is doubled?
A) It remains the same
B) It doubles
C) It becomes one-fourth
D) It becomes four times
Answer: C) It becomes one-fourth
Explanation: According to the inverse square law, gravitational force decreases as the square of the distance increases.
Q3: What is the gravitational force between two objects dependent on?
A) Their masses and the distance between them
B) Their volume
C) Their shape
D) Their color
Answer: A) Their masses and the distance between them
Explanation: Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that force is directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Test Your Knowledge
Gravitational Force Quiz
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