What is Gravitational acceleration: Definition and 119 Discussions

In physics, gravitational acceleration is the acceleration of an object in free fall within a vacuum (and thus without experiencing drag). This is the steady gain in speed caused exclusively by the force of gravitational attraction. At given GPS coordinates on the Earth's surface and a given altitude, all bodies accelerate in vacuum at the same rate, regardless of the masses or compositions of the bodies; the measurement and analysis of these rates is known as gravimetry.
At different points on Earth's surface, the free fall acceleration ranges from 9.764 m/s2 to 9.834 m/s2 depending on altitude and latitude, with a conventional standard value of exactly 9.80665 m/s2 (approximately 32.17405 ft/s2). Locations of significant variation from this value are known as gravity anomalies. This does not take into account other effects, such as buoyancy or drag.

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  1. kvantti

    Gravitational acceleration in GR

    I tried to search everywhere but couldn't find an answer, so here it goes. In Newtonian mechanics, the gravitational acceleration g at a distance r from the gravitating object is given by Does this equation apply in general relativity aswel? If not, what is the equivalent in GR, ie...
  2. B

    Gravitational Acceleration Problem

    Homework Statement A 95 kg man jumps, therefore exerting a force of 1000 N on a bathroom scale. The scale is in a motionless elevator in Earth's gravity. What is the man's acceleration? Homework Equations Newton's 2nd Law: F=ma Possibly Fg=mg ? The Attempt at a Solution I tried...
  3. B

    How Much Does Gravity Affect Weight on Mercury?

    Mercury has a mass of 3.30 x10^23 kg and a radius of 2.44 x10^6 m. (a) What is the acceleration due to gravity on Mercury? m/s2 (b) How much would a 5.94 kg person weigh on this planet? Ni honestly have no idea how to do this... help please!
  4. M

    Gravitational acceleration/ centripetal

    Homework Statement Given: G = 6.67259 × 10−11 N · m2/kg2 A satellite moves in a circular orbit around Earth at a speed of 3160 m/s. Find the satellite’s altitude above the surface of Earth. Answer in units of m. I'm not sure how to do this without the mass of Earth..don't you need it to plug...
  5. P

    Finding the mass of a planet using gravitational acceleration and radius

    Homework Statement Planet Z is 5000 km in diameter. The free-fall acceleration on Planet Z is 7.00 m/s^2. What is the mass of Planet Z? Homework Equations Well Newton's gravitational law G(M1M2)/R^2 And I cannot think of much else The Attempt at a Solution On one of the...
  6. T

    Free Fall and gravitational acceleration

    Homework Statement A ball is dropped from 1.5 y(m) and hits the ground in .54 t(s). What is the value of g (m/s^2)? The accepted value of g = 9.8m/s^2 Homework Equations y=1/2gt^2 The Attempt at a Solution I'm getting this wrong, but this is my attempt. 1.5 = 1/2g x .54^2...
  7. S

    Simulated gravitational acceleration

    you want to design a large, permanent space station so that no artificial gravity is necessary. you decide to shape it like a large coffee can of radius 322 m and rotate it about its central axis. A) what rotational speed would be required to simulate gravitaty? B)if an astronaut jogged in...
  8. stevebd1

    Gravitational acceleration for a rotating torus

    gravity of a rotating torus While Gm/r^2 seems to apply only for gravitational acceleration towards spheroids, what would be the equation for gravitational acceleration towards a rotating torus? I'm sure the equation would be the same for spheroids and toroids at large distances but what would...
  9. A

    How Is Force Calculated to Maintain Position on an Inclined Wedge?

    Homework Statement a block of mass (m) is placed on a bigger triangular shaped block with a mass (M). The wedge is of angle (α) . The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks is μs . What must the force (F) be in order to keep the smaller block at the same height on the...
  10. S

    Gravitational Acceleration inside a Planet

    The problem: Consider a spherical planet of uniform density \rho. The distance from the planet's center to its surface (i.e., the planet's radius) is R_{p}. An object is located a distance R from the center of the planet, where R\precR_{p} . (The object is located inside of the planet.)...
  11. W

    Gravitational Acceleration inside a Planet

    Consider a spherical planet of uniform density p. The distance from the planet's center to its surface (i.e., the planet's radius) is R_p. An object is located a distance R from the center of the planet, where R < R_p. (The object is located inside of the planet.) Find an expression for the...
  12. B

    Gravitational acceleration above the Earth's surface

    At what altitude above the Earth's surface would the gravitational acceleration be 4.9 m/s^2? I thought this what very simple but apparently it is not since I got the wrong answer and can't figure out what I did wrong. I used g= GM/r^2= GM/(R+h)^2 R being radius of Earth and h being the...
  13. J

    Direction of gravitational acceleration vector

    If you were on a platform in space that accelerated at 9.8m/s^2, this would obviously have the same effect as would Earth's gravity. The acceleration vector of this plate would point upward, but why is the gravitation acceleration vector on Earth always depicted downwards? obviously the...
  14. M

    Why Is Gravitational Acceleration Least at the Equator and Maximum at the Poles?

    hello The gravitational acceleration at the equator is the least and at the pole is the maximum due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis.Why?
  15. A

    Problem with gravitational acceleration

    A person standing at the base of a building throws a stone straight up at 40 m/s. If the building is 35 m high, calculate: a) The maximum height to which the stone will rise b) How long it would take for the stone to land on the roof c) The velocity at which the stone would hit the roof...
  16. B

    How Do You Calculate Speed and Time of a Falling Object with No Air Resistance?

    THIS IS NOT A HOME WORK, THIS IS JUST FOR FUN? I've been given a challenge by my grade 11 physics teacher and I can't make heads of tail of it, I’ve got the formulas but the numbers don't make sense. If you went up 109 km (above sea level) and dropped a rock, what speed would it be traveling...
  17. P

    What Altitude Above Earth Gives a Gravitational Acceleration of 3.53 m/s²?

    At what altitude above Earth's surface would the gravitational acceleration be 3.53 m/s^2? I used the equation a= GM/r^2 G=6.67 x 10^-11 and M= 5.98 x 10^24 Solving for r gives 1.06 x 10^7 m which isn't right... can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
  18. W

    Gravitational Acceleration Help

    I don't understand how to do this question. Please help Show that GMm (1/r1 - 1/r2) and mgh are, for practical purposes, equal, when r2 is almost equal to r1 near the Earth's surface. I just don't know how to do it.
  19. I

    Projectile motion and gravitational acceleration problem

    During a physics class on the planet Xoltac, young Greels are asked to determine the gravitational acceleration by using a particle launcher that has a muzzle velocity of 10 m/s. They find that the maximum horizontal range of the particles is 20m. What is the gravitational acceleration on...
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