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Time: 4 hours
Level: Introductory
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 Introduction Resource- From the moment that Galileo dropped two cannonballs of different sizes and weights from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa mankind has been fascinated by the impact of gravity. This unit looks at gravity,...
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- 1: Gravitational force Resource
- The gravitational force of attraction exists between objects. This force is the reason you feel yourself pulled towards the Earth.
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- 2: Work done by gravity Resource
- It is possible to calculate the work done on a falling object by the gravitational force. We will adopt a simplifying approach and start by making the assumption that air resistance is negligible. In fact,...
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| | 3: Work done against gravity – gravitational potential energy
- 3: Work done against gravity – gravitational potential energy Resource
- So far we have only considered objects falling under gravity. Let's now consider the work done when we lift an object. In order to lift an object that has mass m, we have to apply an upward force mg to...
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| | 4: Gravitational energy and energy conservation
- 4: Gravitational energy and energy conservation Resource
- The concept of gravitational energy greatly simplifies calculations concerned with the effect of gravity on the motion of objects, particularly where no other forces are concerned. For example, if you...
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| | 5: Other forms of potential energy
- 5: Other forms of potential energy Resource
- It is worth emphasising that the gravitational energy (or gravitational potential energy, to give it the full name) of an object increases when it moves in the opposite direction to the gravitational force...
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- 6: Summary Resource
- All objects, irrespective of their mass, experience the same acceleration g when falling freely under the influence of gravity at the same point on the Earth. Close to the Earth's surface, g=9.8 m s−2....
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| | References and Acknowledgements | |
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