Universal Gravitation

Newton determined that the pull of Earth’s gravity caused both apples and

• the moon to fall toward Earth.

• the moon to move away from Earth.

• the sun to move away from Earth.

• stars to fall toward Earth.

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The moon falls toward Earth in the sense that it falls

• with an acceleration of 10 m/s2, as apples fall on Earth.

• with an acceleration greater than 10 m/s2.

• beneath the straight-line path it would take without gravity.

• above the straight-line path it would take without gravity.

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Consider a space probe three times as far from Earth’s center. Compared at Earth’s surface, its gravitational attraction to Earth at this distance is about

• one third as much

• one half as much

• one ninth as much

• zero

Compared to the gravitational field of Earth at its surface, Earth’s gravitational field at a distance three times as far from Earth’s center is about

• one third as much

• one half as much

• one ninth as much

• .zero

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NGSS.HS-PS2-4

Newton did not discover gravity, for early humans discovered it whenever they fell. What Newton did discover is that gravity

• tells us about why the universe expands.

• tells us how to discover new planets.

• accounts for the existence of black holes.

• extends throughout the universe. 

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Compared to the gravitational field of Earth at its surface, Earth’s gravitational field at Earth’s center is

• zero

• .half as much

• twice as much

• .three times as much

Newton’s law of universal gravitation had a great impact on society as many scientists, artists, writers, and philosophers hoped that

• more complex and universal laws would explain other phenomena of the world

• greater observations would require fewer experimentations

• no further explanation of other phenomena of the world would be required

• studying other phenomena of the world would lead to just as simple and universal laws

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Planets remain in orbit while falling around the sun due to their

• tangential velocities.

• zero tangential velocities.

• accelerations of about 10 m/s2.

• centrifugal forces that keep them up. 

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What is the gravitational force between two identical 50,000 kg asteroids whose centers of mass are separated by 1000 m?

• 2500 N

• 3.3 x 10^-12 N

• 1.67 x 10^-4 N

• 1.67 x 10^-7 N

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What happens to Gravitational force if I double both of the masses but don't change their distance?

• doubles

• half as big

• 4 times bigger

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