Skip to main content

All Questions

0 votes
2 answers
298 views

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 ...
Sam's user avatar
  • 379
0 votes
1 answer
182 views

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 ...
Sam's user avatar
  • 379
3 votes
3 answers
125 views

What is wrong with this calculation of work done by an agent bringing a unit mass from infinity into a gravitational field? [duplicate]

Let us assume that a gravitational field is created by a mass $M$. An agent is bringing a unit mass from $\infty$ to distance $r < \infty$, both measured from mass $M$. The agent is always forcing ...
Imtiaz Kabir's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
708 views

Integrating a dot product gives wrong sign for work done [duplicate]

Consider a point mass which creates a gravitational field. The gravitational force pulls a 'test mass' towards the point mass. Since the displacement and gravitational force are in the same direction, ...
Rational Function's user avatar