Gravitational Field

Contents / notes

• Newton's law of universal gravitation.
• Gravitational potential.
• Conservative and non-conservative fields.
• Acceleration due to gravity.
• Variation of g on the Earth's surface.
• Distinction between mass and weight.
• Escape velocity.
• Parking orbit and weightlessness.

Candidate objectives

• Identify the expression for gravitational force between two bodies.
• Apply Newton's law of universal gravitation.
• Give examples of conservative and non-conservative fields.
• Deduce the expression for gravitational field potential.
• Identify the causes of variation of g on the Earth's surface.
• Differentiate between mass and weight.
• Determine escape velocity.
• Relate the expression for gravitational force between two bodies.