Calculating the Gravitational Force of Two Bowling Balls

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the gravitational force between two bowling balls, each with a mass of 15.8 kg, positioned 1.8 cm apart. The context is rooted in gravitational physics and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and the importance of unit conversion in the calculations.

Discussion Status

The discussion includes attempts to clarify the problem and share insights on the calculation process. One participant indicates they arrived at a numerical answer but initially struggled with unit conversion.

Contextual Notes

There is a focus on ensuring proper unit conversion from centimeters to meters, which is crucial for accurate calculations in gravitational force problems.

Kdawg
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One problem

1.) Two bowling balls each have a mass of 15.8 kg. They are located next to one another with their centers 1.8 cm apart. What gravitational force do they exert on each other? (Use G = 6.670 10-11 N · m 2/kg2.)
 
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What have you tried?
 
This is a really simple question. You just have to apply Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
 
Ya, I figured it out, its 5.1e-5. I just forgot to convert cm to m the first time :smile:
 

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