Week 5

Gravity

Concept Map of the Week

Note: image by Chudaeva, E. (2022).

Concept Trailer

Gravitation

Watch this video.

Then watch the video again and answer the following questions:

1. Is there a place in the universe where gravity is zero?
2.  Who discovered the Universal Law of Gravitation?
3. What this law is about?
4. The form of the Universal Law of Gravitation is valid for what objects/bodies/masses?
5. What is the shape of the trajectory of the Moon around the Earth?
6. What is the shape of the path of the Earth around the Sun?

Key Terms

Review the following key terms (Glossary chapter 2 and 6):

acceleration

the rate at which an object’s velocity changes over a period of time

acceleration due to gravity

acceleration of an object as a result of gravity

average acceleration

the change in velocity divided by the time over which it changes

average speed

distance traveled divided by time during which motion occurs

average velocity

displacement divided by time over which displacement occurs

distance

the magnitude of displacement between two positions

free-fall

the state of movement that results from gravitational force only

gravitational constant, G

a proportionality factor used in the equation for Newton’s universal law of gravitation; it is a universal constant—that is, it is thought to be the same everywhere in the universe

position

the location of an object at a particular time

scalar

a quantity that is described by magnitude, but not direction

time

change, or the interval over which change occurs

vector

a quantity that is described by both magnitude and direction

More terms can be found in the textbook Glossary.