- #1
Hunt4Higgs
- 15
- 0
Another stupid thing I've come across and thought; what?
Mainly down to not having many example questions to look at, I'm sure that'd help a bunch.
I am self studying this topic so apologies for what may be silly questions...
Looking at the formulae for Gravity, Gravitational Field Strength, Gravitational Potential, and Gravitational Potential Energy...
Some of those should end up with negative answers, and some dont.
I understand that obviously the direction is towards the mass (example earth), but some of the minus signs in the formulae say they are just to show direction.
Which are for direction and which are in there to provide you with a negative answer at the end? And why, if possible to explain?
I've briefly looked at gravity wells and I have seen that work done in taking a mass to infinity is positive work...and work done in bringing a mass from infinity is negative work.
As an example of where I'm stuck.
Gravitational Field Strength is a Vector Quantity and when the formula is in front of you, it is given with a minus sign, and the answer comes out with no minus sign.
Gravitational Potential is a scalar quantity and the formula is again given with a minus sign, yet the answer that comes out is supposed to be negative?
Why are some supposed to be negative and some arent but are still given with minus signs in their individual formulae?
Mainly down to not having many example questions to look at, I'm sure that'd help a bunch.
I am self studying this topic so apologies for what may be silly questions...
Looking at the formulae for Gravity, Gravitational Field Strength, Gravitational Potential, and Gravitational Potential Energy...
Some of those should end up with negative answers, and some dont.
I understand that obviously the direction is towards the mass (example earth), but some of the minus signs in the formulae say they are just to show direction.
Which are for direction and which are in there to provide you with a negative answer at the end? And why, if possible to explain?
I've briefly looked at gravity wells and I have seen that work done in taking a mass to infinity is positive work...and work done in bringing a mass from infinity is negative work.
As an example of where I'm stuck.
Gravitational Field Strength is a Vector Quantity and when the formula is in front of you, it is given with a minus sign, and the answer comes out with no minus sign.
Gravitational Potential is a scalar quantity and the formula is again given with a minus sign, yet the answer that comes out is supposed to be negative?
Why are some supposed to be negative and some arent but are still given with minus signs in their individual formulae?