All Questions
5
questions
0
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3
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159
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How does gravitational potential relate to gravitational acceleration?
I've been wondering about what the gravitational potential V actually tells us, and how it relates to gravitational force and/or acceleration. The formula is $V = -\frac{GM}{r}$. I did some ...
- 47
-1
votes
3
answers
281
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Definition of gravitational potential energy. WITHOUT Acceleration?
Gravitational potential energy is defined in the textbook as the amount of work done in bringing a mass from infinity to that point in gravitational field without producing acceleration.
What does '...
0
votes
3
answers
352
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Sign of gravitational acceleration
The gravitational potential energy comes from the formula $mgh$ where $g$ is always $>0$.
But when we get to choose it's sign? I figured out, it really depends on what you choose as positive axis ...
- 101
-2
votes
4
answers
544
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Middle School: What is the difference between gravitational force and gravitational field?
I'm in middle school and I was gone the day my teacher explained gravitational force and gravitational energy. Can someone tell me the difference between them?
9
votes
1
answer
1k
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Why does acceleration seem not to be the gradient of gravitational potential?
Consider a spherically symmetric distribution of density $\rho(r)$. We can define the mass enclosed within each radius $r$ using $\frac{dM(r)}{dr} = 4\pi r^2 \rho(r)$, with the condition that $M(r=0) ...
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