By considering Newton's second law and his law of gravitation, derive an expression for gravitational field strength g in terms of its mass, m, the distance from its center of mass, r, and the gravitational constant, G.

Newton's second law of motion is F = ma and his law of gravitation is F= GMm/r^2.g is the acceleration of free fall and can be substituted for a, F = mg.We can therefore see that g = F/m and can use that to manipulate Newton's law of gravitation.g = GM/r^2

RM

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

What determines the acoustic impedance of a material and why is it useful in understanding ultrasound imaging?


A golf ball is hit at angle θ to the horizontal, with initial velocity u. Stating an assumption, show that the horizontal distance travelled by the ball is directly proportional to u^2.


What are the 'rules' of oscillation?


A small ball is projected with speed 15 m/s at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal. Find the distance from the point of projection of the ball at the instant when it is travelling horizontally.