Gravitational force acts on all objects in pr | vedclass

Name: Exam Paper Generator | JEE NEET Paper Generator | Vedclass
Brand: Vedclass
Rating: 5 (35 reviews)

Question

(B) According to Newton's second law of motion,$F = ma$. The gravitational force acting on an object is $F = G \frac{Mm}{r^2}$. Equating these,$ma = G

Vedclass · Accepted Answer

The acceleration due to gravity is independent of the mass of the falling object.

Vedclass · Answer

(B) According to Newton's second law of motion,$F = ma$. The gravitational force acting on an object is $F = G \frac{Mm}{r^2}$. Equating these,$ma = G \frac{Mm}{r^2}$,which simplifies to $a = G \frac{M}{r^2}$. Here,$a$ is the acceleration due to gravity $(g)$,$G$ is the gravitational constant,$M$ is the mass of the Earth,and $r$ is the distance from the center of the Earth. Since $g$ depends only on the mass of the Earth and the distance from its center,it is independent of the mass of the falling object $(m)$. Therefore,in the absence of air resistance,all objects fall with the same acceleration,and heavy objects do not fall faster than light objects.

Gravitational force acts on all objects in proportion to their masses. Why then,a heavy object does not fall faster than a light object?

Similar Questions

Why does an object float or sink when placed on the surface of water?

What happens to the force between two objects,if
$(i)$ the mass of one object is doubled?
$(ii)$ the distance between the objects is doubled and tripled?
$(iii)$ the masses of both objects are doubled?

What do you mean by buoyancy?

What do you mean by acceleration due to gravity?

Why is it difficult to hold a school bag having a strap made of a thin and strong string?

Vedclass Test Series

Exam Paper Generator

Online Exam Module