Surface of Earth: Gravitational Accel & Atmosphere

In summary, the term "surface of the earth" typically refers to sea level, and gravitational acceleration decreases as you go higher due to the inverse relationship with distance from the center of the earth. Wind forces may affect net acceleration, but not gravitational acceleration itself.
  • #1
PhysKid24
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Hi, I'm just confused about what is meant when physics talks about the surace of the Earth and gravitational acceleration being constant near the surface of the earth. Are we considered to be on the surface of the earth, or is the surface corresponding to the spherical surface of the earth? And if I go higher into the atmosphere, doesn't the gravitational acceleration decrease because of wind forces present. Sorry, it's just been confusing me for a bit. Thanks.
 
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  • #2
Generally "surface of the earth" is taken to be sea level. Of course, even that varies slightly but is close enough to a sphere that the difference is negligible in most calculations.

Yes, the gravitational acceleration decreases as you go higher but that's because gravitational force (and so acceleration) varies inversely as the distance from the center of the earth. Wind forces are irrelevant to gravitational acceleration but might effect net acceleration.
 

What is the gravitational acceleration on the surface of Earth?

The gravitational acceleration on the surface of Earth is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²). This means that for every second an object falls, its velocity increases by 9.8 m/s in the downward direction.

How does the gravitational acceleration on Earth compare to other celestial bodies?

The gravitational acceleration on Earth is relatively high compared to other celestial bodies due to its large mass. For example, the gravitational acceleration on the Moon is about 1/6th of that on Earth, while on Jupiter it is about 2.5 times stronger.

What is the relationship between mass and gravitational acceleration?

The gravitational acceleration on Earth is directly proportional to the mass of the Earth. This means that as the mass of the Earth increases, the gravitational acceleration also increases. However, the gravitational acceleration also decreases as the distance from the center of the Earth increases.

How does the Earth's atmosphere affect gravitational acceleration?

The Earth's atmosphere does not have a significant effect on gravitational acceleration. The mass of the atmosphere is relatively small compared to the mass of the Earth, so it does not greatly influence the gravitational force acting on objects on the surface.

Can the gravitational acceleration on Earth change?

The gravitational acceleration on Earth can vary slightly depending on location and altitude. However, these variations are very small and do not significantly impact the overall value of 9.8 m/s².

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