Physlet Illustration: Newton's Law of Gravitation

 

 

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m = kg 
A planet of variable mass (1023 kg < m < 1028 kg) and a Sun (mass 2 x 1030 kg) experience a gravitational attraction. The distance grid is in Astronomical Units (AU). The force between them is shown in Newtons. Can you verify Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?

Hints:

  1. How does the force change if you change the mass of the planet while keeping the distance between the Sun and the planet constant?
  2. Drag the planet closer to or farther from the Sun. How does the force change?
  3. Is the magnitude of the force what you would expect? (Recall that G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2 and that 1 AU = 1.5 x 1011 m.)

Reference

See Walker, Section 12-1

Illustration written by Steve Mellema