Dynamics
Gravitational Fields
How mass reaches out across space
Do Now: Astronauts on the International Space Station float. Is there no gravity up there?
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There is plenty of gravity! About 400 km up, Earth’s gravitational field is still about 90% as strong as on the ground. Astronauts float because they and the station are falling around Earth together.
Try It First
Drag the test mass around the planet. Change the planet and the mass.
Lessons
The Gravitational Fieldg = F/m, field lines, and the inverse square law
Energy in FieldsHow fields store energy
Gravity vs. Electric FieldsComparing the two fields, plus mixed practice
Review: Gravity • Review: Weight
NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards, Physics: HS-PS2-4 — Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects. (Includes quantitative and conceptual descriptions of gravitational and electric fields.)