Find gravitational potent. energy - isotropic distribution

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the gravitational potential energy of a mass m within an isotropic distribution of a spherical radius R and total mass M. The gravitational force equation provided is applicable only for distances r greater than R, which raises concerns about its validity in this context. The constant density ρ is defined as M divided by the volume of the sphere, impacting the potential energy calculation. Clarification is sought on how isotropic distribution affects the derivation and the role of density in the calculations. Understanding these concepts is crucial for accurately determining the gravitational potential energy inside the distribution.
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Homework Statement


I am told that the gravitational force of a mass m located inside an isotropic distribution of spherical radius R and total mass M is given by
Fg = -GmM(r)/r^2
where r is the distance between m and the center of distribution and M (r) is the mass contained below the distance r (weight between 0 and r). Suppose the sphere is homogeneous of constant density
ρ= M/((4πR^3)/3)
I need to find the gravitational potential energy inside the distribution as a function of M, m, R, r and G

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


So far I have found the gravitational potential energy, but I don't know how the density is going to come into play. I also don't understand what the isotropic distribution is going to change in my answer and derivation.
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I recommend that you read the Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_law_of_universal_gravitation, especially the section "Gravitational field". It seems like the formula you are using is not correct, since it is valid for ##r>R## (##R## being the radius of the sphere). Density is defined as the mass per volume.
 
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