0Practice Problems with Universal Gravitation
1 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the distance between the two objects is doubled, what is the new force of attraction between the two objects?
2 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the distance between the two objects is tripled, then what is the new force of attraction between the two objects?
3 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the distance between the two objects is reduced in half, then what is the new force of attraction between the two objects?
4 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the distance between the two objects is reduced by a factor of 5, then what is the new force of attraction between the two objects?
5 . Having recently completed his first Physics course, Noah Formula has devised a new business plan based on his teacher's Physics for Better Living theme. Noah learned that objects weigh different amounts at different distances from Earth's center. His plan involves buying gold by the weight at one altitude and then selling it at another altitude at the same price per weight. Should Noah buy at a high altitude and sell at a low altitude or vice versa?
6 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the mass of both objects was doubled, and if the distance between the objects remained the same, then what would be the new force of attraction between the two objects?
7 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the mass of both objects was doubled, and if the distance between the objects was doubled, then what would be the new force of attraction between the two objects?
8 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the mass of both objects was tripled, and if the distance between the objects was doubled, then what would be the new force of attraction between the two objects?
9 . Suppose that two objects attract each other with a gravitational force of 16 units. If the mass of object 1 was doubled, and if the distance between the objects was tripled, then what would be the new force of attraction between the two objects?
10 . As a star ages, it is believed to undergo a variety of changes. One of the last phases of a certain type of star's life is to gravitationally collapse into a black hole. What will happen to the orbit of the planets of the solar system if our star (the Sun shrinks into a black hole)? (And of course, this assumes that the planets are unaffected by prior stages of the Sun's evolving stages.)
11 . Anita Diet is very concerned about her weight but seldom does anything about it. After learning about Newton's law of universal gravitation in Physics class, she becomes all concerned about the possible affect of a change in Earth's mass upon her weight. During a (rare) free moment at the lunch table, she speaks up "How would my weight change if the mass of the Earth increased by 10%?" How would you answer Anita?
12 . When comparing mass and size data for the planets Earth and Jupiter, it is observed that Jupiter is about 300 times more massive than Earth. One might quickly conclude that an object on the surface of Jupiter would weigh 300 times more than on the surface of the Earth. For instance, one might expect a person who weights 500 N on Earth would weigh 150000 N on the surface of Jupiter. Yet this is not the case. In fact, a 500-N person on Earth weighs about 150 N on the surface of Jupiter. Explain how this can be.
13 . Suppose that you have a mass of 70 kg (equivalent to a 154-pound person). How much mass must another object have in order for your body and the other object to attract each other with a force of 1-Newton when separated by 10 meters?
