Answer the following:
$(a)$ You can shield a charge from electrical forces by putting it inside a hollow conductor. Can you shield a body from the gravitational influence of nearby matter by putting it inside a hollow sphere or by some other means?
$(b)$ An astronaut inside a small space ship orbiting around the earth cannot detect gravity. If the space station orbiting around the earth has a large size,can he hope to detect gravity?
$(c)$ If you compare the gravitational force on the earth due to the sun to that due to the moon,you would find that the Sun's pull is greater than the moon's pull. However,the tidal effect of the moon's pull is greater than the tidal effect of the sun. Why?
$(a)$ You can shield a charge from electrical forces by putting it inside a hollow conductor. Can you shield a body from the gravitational influence of nearby matter by putting it inside a hollow sphere or by some other means?
$(b)$ An astronaut inside a small space ship orbiting around the earth cannot detect gravity. If the space station orbiting around the earth has a large size,can he hope to detect gravity?
$(c)$ If you compare the gravitational force on the earth due to the sun to that due to the moon,you would find that the Sun's pull is greater than the moon's pull. However,the tidal effect of the moon's pull is greater than the tidal effect of the sun. Why?
(N/A) No. Gravitational influence cannot be shielded because gravity is independent of the nature of the medium and the presence of other matter.
$(b)$ Yes. If the space station is large,the astronaut can detect the variation in the gravitational field (tidal forces) across the dimensions of the station.
$(c)$ The tidal effect depends on the gradient of the gravitational field,which is proportional to $1/r^3$,whereas the gravitational force itself is proportional to $1/r^2$. Since the Moon is much closer to the Earth than the Sun,the gradient of the Moon's gravitational field is larger,resulting in a greater tidal effect.
$(b)$ Yes. If the space station is large,the astronaut can detect the variation in the gravitational field (tidal forces) across the dimensions of the station.
$(c)$ The tidal effect depends on the gradient of the gravitational field,which is proportional to $1/r^3$,whereas the gravitational force itself is proportional to $1/r^2$. Since the Moon is much closer to the Earth than the Sun,the gradient of the Moon's gravitational field is larger,resulting in a greater tidal effect.
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