What is the formula for calculating gravitational field?

In summary, a gravitational field is a region of space where an object with mass experiences a force due to the presence of another object with mass. The strength of this field is measured by gravitational acceleration, which is affected by the mass and distance between objects. The shape of an object does not affect its gravitational field, but it can affect the distribution of its mass, which in turn affects the strength of the gravitational force experienced by an object with mass.
  • #1
404
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1. A person throws a ball upwards with a speed of 15 m/s, calc:
a) the time to the top of the trajectory (1.53s)
b) time the ball is in flight (3.06s)
c) max height of the ball (11.5m)

2. An astronaut is repairing top of her craft while docked on a strange new planet. ( :rolleyes: ) She throws a tool down to her partner below at 2.5 m/s. Her partner catches the tool 2.86m below when it has reached a speed of 11.5m/s.
a) What is the gravitational field? (22 N/kg)
b) What is her weight if her mass is 58 kg? (1300 N)

I don't want the solutions, but can someone give me formulas I'm suppose to use for these questions? All I have in my notes is g=F/m...
 
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  • #2
The solution is more useful than just a formula. These shouldn't be just "look up the formula and plug it in", you should try to understand why they work, and if tehy dont, how to make them work.

For #1, use energy considerations to solve all three. The kinetic energy initially in the ball will do work against the gravitational field. It will gain potential energy until the KE is dispended, and at the point where KE is zero, the ball will be at its peak. Namely,

[tex] \frac{1}{2}mv^2 = mgh [/tex].
 
  • #3
Well last time I asked for the solution was I given formulas so I thought I'd cut to the chase.

EDIT: ok number 1 worked out. Thanks
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Oh for Number 2a), I found acceleration to be 22m/s^2. The answer is 22N/kg, so maybe you assume she's dropping at maximum angle 90. a = g sin(theta), sin would be 1, so gravity comes out to be 22? I don't know... Just a crazy guess.
 
  • #5
[tex] 22 m/s^2 = 22 N/kg [/tex]. If you don't see this, write out 1 Newton in terms of its base units (meters, seconds, kilograms). It says the object falls straight down, so we don't need to involve angles.
 
  • #6
Ok, I see what you are saying now... Just making sure though, even though I included angles, was my thinking correct?
 
  • #7
404 said:
Ok, I see what you are saying now... Just making sure though, even though I included angles, was my thinking correct?

You didn't show me any thinking, you showed me an answer which matches the one you gave as correct earlier in a different form. I'm guessing that you did it correctly since you came to the correct answer without knowing it.
 

1. What is a gravitational field?

A gravitational field is a region of space in which an object with mass experiences a force due to the presence of another object with mass.

2. How is the strength of a gravitational field measured?

The strength of a gravitational field is measured by its gravitational acceleration, which is the rate at which objects accelerate towards each other due to gravity.

3. What affects the strength of a gravitational field?

The strength of a gravitational field is affected by the mass of the objects and the distance between them. The larger the mass and the closer the distance, the stronger the gravitational field.

4. How does the shape of an object affect its gravitational field?

The shape of an object does not affect its gravitational field, as long as its mass remains constant. However, the shape of an object can affect the distribution of its mass, which can then affect the gravitational field it produces.

5. What is the difference between a gravitational field and a gravitational force?

A gravitational field is a region of space, while a gravitational force is the actual force exerted on an object by gravity. The strength of the gravitational field determines the strength of the gravitational force experienced by an object with mass.

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