5. Circular Motion and Gravitation

Gravitation — Quiz

Test your understanding of gravitation with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

What is the gravitational potential energy of a $5 \, \text{kg}$ object located $2 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$ above Earth’s surface? (Assume Earth’s mass is $6 \times 10^{24} \, \text{kg}$ and Earth’s radius is $6.4 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$)

Question 2

What is the ratio of the gravitational force on a $10 \, \text{kg}$ object at Earth’s surface to the gravitational force on the same object at a height equal to Earth’s radius above the surface?

Question 3

A satellite orbits Earth in a circular orbit at an altitude of $3 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$ above Earth’s surface. What is the orbital speed of the satellite? (Assume $M_E = 6 \times 10^{24} \, \text{kg}$ and $R_E = 6.4 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$)

Question 4

What is the escape velocity from the surface of a planet with mass $3 \times 10^{24} \, \text{kg}$ and radius $5 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$?

Question 5

If the gravitational field strength at a certain distance from a planet’s center is $3 \, \text{N/kg}$, what would be the gravitational field strength at half that distance?