Calculate acceleration after getting the Gravitational force between two bodies

In summary, the formula for calculating acceleration due to gravitational force between two bodies is a = F/m, where "a" is the acceleration, "F" is the gravitational force, and "m" is the mass of the object. The gravitational force between two bodies is determined by the masses of the two objects and the distance between them, and can be calculated using the formula F = (G * m1 * m2) / d^2. The relationship between gravitational force and acceleration is directly proportional, but the acceleration also depends on the mass of the object. The distance between two bodies has an inverse relationship with the acceleration due to gravitational force. Lastly, the acceleration due to gravitational force can never be zero as long as there is
  • #1
MinusNick
2
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Say the gravitational force between two points is 80 N. The two points start off stationary. What do I do to find how those two objects would accelerate closer together? I'm trying to write a simple program that calculates the gravitational force between two objects and pulls them together, but I don't know how to do the latter. Could anyone be of assistance? A simple formula is probably all this requires... I hope!
 
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  • #2
Nevermind, I'll just plug in the force and mass into F = ma. I can't believe I didn't get that lol.
 
  • #3


To calculate the acceleration of two bodies due to their gravitational force, you can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F=ma). In this case, the net force is the gravitational force between the two bodies, which is 80 N.

To find the acceleration, you will need to know the masses of the two bodies. Let's say the masses are m1 and m2. Then, the acceleration can be calculated using the formula a = F/(m1 + m2). In this case, the acceleration will be 80/(m1 + m2) meters per second squared (m/s^2).

If the two bodies start off stationary, their initial velocities are zero, and the final velocity after a certain time t can be calculated using the formula v = at. This will give you the speed at which the two bodies will be moving towards each other due to the gravitational force.

To simulate this in a program, you can use a loop that updates the positions of the two bodies at each time step, based on their velocities and accelerations. You can also take into consideration the distance between the two bodies, which will change as they move towards each other. The formula for gravitational force between two bodies is F = G(m1m2)/r^2, where G is the universal gravitational constant and r is the distance between the two bodies. This can help you update the gravitational force and acceleration at each time step.

I hope this helps in writing your program. Remember to take into consideration all the relevant variables and equations to accurately simulate the motion of the two bodies under the influence of their gravitational force.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating acceleration after getting the gravitational force between two bodies?

The formula for calculating acceleration due to gravitational force between two bodies is a = F/m, where "a" is the acceleration, "F" is the gravitational force, and "m" is the mass of the object.

2. How do you determine the gravitational force between two bodies?

The gravitational force between two bodies is determined by the masses of the two objects and the distance between them. The formula for gravitational force is F = (G * m1 * m2) / d^2, where "G" is the gravitational constant, "m1" and "m2" are the masses of the two objects, and "d" is the distance between them.

3. What is the relationship between gravitational force and acceleration?

The relationship between gravitational force and acceleration is directly proportional. This means that as the gravitational force between two objects increases, so does the acceleration. However, the acceleration also depends on the mass of the object, so a more massive object will have a lower acceleration compared to a less massive object with the same gravitational force acting on it.

4. How does the distance between two bodies affect the acceleration due to gravitational force?

The distance between two bodies has an inverse relationship with the acceleration due to gravitational force. This means that as the distance between two objects increases, the acceleration decreases. This is because the gravitational force weakens with distance, as described by the inverse square law.

5. Can the acceleration due to gravitational force ever be zero?

No, the acceleration due to gravitational force can never be zero as long as there is a non-zero mass and distance between two objects. This is because gravity is a fundamental force that is always present between objects with mass, and it will always result in some acceleration, no matter how small.

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