All Questions
Tagged with newtonian-gravity conventions
93
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Gravitational potential energy of a two body system from infinity
In determining gravitational energy of a two body system,we define it as the negative work done by gravitational force in bringing those two bodies from infinity to a distance $r$ with respect to the ...
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Is it correct to say, any object has a huge amount of potential energy?
Let's say if it is a $ 1 kg $ metal ball.
Now if we consider it together with a planet some 500 light years away (or if we consider Neptune), then there is potential energy between this metal ball ...
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Potential energy $= -GMm/r$ then how could potential energy ever be positive? [duplicate]
Using the $U = -GMm/r$ where $r$ is a distance which would be positive how could potential energy ever be positive?
How could it be positive according to the equation $mgh$?
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Why is the total energy of a satellite negative?
I have learnt that the total energy of a satellite is negative because it is in a bounded system(closed system). Total energy of a satellite is defined as: $$\text{T.E.} = \text{K.E. + P.E.}$$ and ...
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Concept of Gravitational potential energy
Change in Potential energy corresponding to a conservative force is defined as $$\Delta U = U_f - U_i=-W_f$$ and gravitational potential energy is $$\Delta U = U_f-U_i = -W_g $$ Suppose a mass $m_1$ ...
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Confused between potential energies
Let us suppose an object of mass $m$ has been raised $h$ meter above. From definition of gravitational potential energy, the potential energy of the ball should be $-\frac{GMm}{R+h}$. But now let us ...
- 1,179
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What is the meaning of Gravitational Potential when multiple point masses are involved?
According to Wikipedia "The gravitational potential $V$ at a distance $x$ from a point mass of mass $M$ can be defined as the work $W$ that needs to be done by an external agent to bring a unit ...
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Better understanding of the definition of Gravitational Potential as the improper integral $\frac{1}{m}\int^x _{\infty}G\frac{Mm}{x^2}dx$
According to Wikipedia "The gravitational potential $V$ at a distance $x$ from a point mass of mass $M$ can be defined as the work $W$ that needs to be done by an external agent to bring a unit ...
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What is meant by 'Gravitational Potential Energy of a System'?
'Gravitational potential energy' is defined as: 'energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field'.
Consider two planets of masses $M$ and $m$ at a distance from $r$ of each ...
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Work done to bring a mass from an infinite distance away
In the notes I received from high school teacher, it says:
How much work is done by the gravitational field of the planet in bringing a satellite from an infinite distance to a position $r$ away?
In ...
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Gravitational potential energy at $r = \infty$
At $r = \infty$, the gravitational potential energy of an object due to Earth’s gravitational field is at a maximum value of $0$. I understood this to mean that an object will have maximum potential ...
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Why there is a negative sign on the gravitation formula?
It all started when I was coding some simulation of the Newton's Law of Gravitation and Culomb's Law.
When I was seeking information on the internet, I found out that some people wrote this formulas ...
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Find the density of the sphere, $\rho(r)$
If the field vector $\hat{g}$ is independent of the radial distance withing the sphere, find the function describing the density $\rho$ of the sphere, $\rho(r)$.
In spherical coordinates, the ...
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Potential energy in the gravitational field - Why is $r_2$ striving against infinity?
why is $r_2$ striving against infinity in the formula $𝑊 = 𝐺𝑚𝑀(\frac{1}{𝑟_1}−\frac{1}{𝑟_2})$, so its often simplified to $𝑊 = \frac{𝐺𝑚𝑀}{r}$ ?
I know that in the final formula, r is the ...
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Why not make GPE positive?
I was teaching a student about negative GPE with the formula:
$$U=-\frac{GMm}{r}$$
He wasn't very happy with why it was negative and came up with this formula instead:
$$U'=-\frac{GMm}{r}+Bm$$
where $...
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