Circular Motion and Gravity

Front

What is Circular Motion?

Back

Circular motion is the motion of an object that revolves around a fixed point in a circular path. It can be uniform (constant speed) or non-uniform (changing speed).

Front

Define Centripetal Force.

Back

Centripetal force is the net force that acts on an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle. It is necessary for maintaining circular motion.

Front

What happens to centripetal force if the velocity of an object increases?

Back

Increasing the velocity of an object in circular motion increases the centripetal force required to keep it moving in that path.

Front

What is the direction of velocity in circular motion?

Back

The direction of velocity in circular motion is tangential to the path of the circle at any point.

Front

State Kepler's 1st Law of Planetary Motion.

Back

Kepler's 1st Law states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the foci.

Front

What is Kepler's 2nd Law of Planetary Motion?

Back

Kepler's 2nd Law states that a line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

Front

Explain Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.

Back

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation 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 their centers.

Front

What is the effect of doubling the distance between two masses on the gravitational force?

Back

Doubling the distance between two masses reduces the gravitational force between them to one-fourth of its original value.

Front

What is the formula for centripetal acceleration?

Back

Centripetal acceleration (a_c) is given by the formula a_c = v^2 / r, where v is the linear velocity and r is the radius of the circular path.

Front

Define gravitational force.

Back

Gravitational force is the attractive force between two masses, which depends on their masses and the distance between them.