This lesson is on the Effects of Gravitational Fields, which is part of Unit 3 Area of Study 1 for VCE Physics.
Force of Gravity Between Two Objects
Newton’s law of gravitation, states that any particle of matter in the universe attracts any other with a force varying directly as the product of the masses and inversely as the square of the distance between them.
So let’s learn to apply Newton’s law of gravitation to:
- Determine the force of gravity between two objects
Learn to investigate the orbital motion of planets and artificial satellites when applying the relationships between the following quantities:
- Gravitational force
The formula for gravitational force is the following:
F = \frac{G M_1 M_2}{R^2}- G is the gravitational constant
- M is the mass of the planets in question
- R is the radius between planets
Gravitational force
The following videos will guide you through work and energy, including gravitational potential energy and the related equations and theory-based around the special case of conservation of mechanical energy.
Part 1: Crash Course: Work, Energy and Power
Part 2: Introduction equations and examples to gravitational potential energy
Work as area under curve
Gravitational Potential Energy
This video will take you through gravitational potential energy and practice problems.
Looking for more resources? Check out more of our VCE Physics resources here!​
