Newton's Law & Gravitational F: Finding the Accl'n for a sphere

AI Thread Summary
To find the initial acceleration of the third sphere in the equilateral triangle setup, apply Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the gravitational force between two masses is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Given the two spheres with a mass of 2.8 kg each and the distance of 1.20 m, calculate the gravitational force exerted on the third sphere by each of the two spheres. The net force acting on the third sphere can be determined by vector addition of these forces. Finally, use Newton's second law (F=ma) to find the acceleration of the third sphere by dividing the net force by its mass. The solution requires careful consideration of the forces and angles involved in the equilateral triangle configuration.
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Homework Statement


Three uniform spheres are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle. Each side of the triangle has a length of 1.20m. Two of the spheres have a mass of 2.8 kg, each.

The third sphere has an unknown mass, and is released from rest.

Considering only the gravitational forces that the spheres exert on each other, find magnitude of the initial acceleration of the third sphere.


Homework Equations






The Attempt at a Solution



I'm not sure how to attempt this question, where do I start> thanks!
 

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