Imagine a spacecraft on a trip from the earth to the moon. (You can ignore the other bodies in the solar system, i.e. the sun). Exactly halfway between the earth and the moon, the net gravitational force acting on a spacecraft will be:
Which is stronger, the gravitational force the earth exerts on an apple? Or the force the apple exerts on the earth?
When two masses are located a distance $d_1$ apart (as measured from their centers), the force of Gravity between them is found to be given by a force $F_1$. If they are brought closer together so that the distance between them is now $d_2 = d_1/2$, i.e. the distance has been decreased by half, what is the new force $F_2$ in terms of the original force, $F_1$?
In the equation for the force of gravity on an person near the surface of the Earth $F = mg$, which of the following does not affect the value of the little $g$.
Regarding the Earth in its orbit around the sun, which one of the following is true:
If a rock is released from a height 10 meters above the ground and let fall we can obtain a value for the force of gravity acting on the rock and then use Newton's second law to figure out the rock's acceleration, usually called little $g$ which has an approximate value of 9.8 m/s2. How would that acceleration change if we dropped the rock from a height of 10 kilometers.
Three masses are in deep space. The two large masses, each of mass $m$, are located equal distances away from the x axis both at x = 0. A third mass, $m_0$ is located on the x axis as shown. In which direction is the net gravitational force acting on $m_0$?
How does the gravitational force between the Earth and the Sun change over a year?
The picture below shows a simplified model of the Earth orbiting the Sun. A coordinate system is shown as well in blue. At the point in time shown, what vector direction would best describe the direction of the acceleration of the Earth.
If you are standing in an elevator and the normal force between you and floor is greater than the force of gravity acting on you from the Earth, what can you assume to be happening? (Let +y be pointed away in the traditional up direction.)
A communications satellite is in low earth orbit, which means it is orbiting at a height of a few hundred miles or so above the surface of the Earth. The time it takes for the satellite to orbit the Earth once (called the orbital period) is about 90 minutes. If the satellite used its thrusters to move into a higher orbit, further away from the earth, what can say about its orbital period?
If a 10 year old asked you "Why do bowling balls fall faster than feathers when I drop them?" which would be the most physically correct explanation.