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Gravitation Class 11
Notes Physics Chapter
8
January 19, 2024 by Bhagya

Gravitation Class 11 Notes

Physics Chapter 8
•• Kepler’s
Kepler’s Laws
Laws of
of Planetary
Planetary Motion
Motion
Johannes Kepler formulated three laws which describe
planetary motion. They are as follows:
(i) Law of orbits. Each planet revolves around the sun in
an elliptical orbit with the sun at one of the foci of the
ellipse.
(ii) Law of areas. The speed of planet varies in such a
way that the radius, vector drawn from the sun to planet
sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

•• Newton’s
Newton’s Law
Law of
of Gravitation
Gravitation
Newton’s law of gravitation states that every particle in
the universe attracts every other particle with a force
directly proportional to the product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them. The direction of the force is along the line
joining the particles.

• Universal constant of gravitation G is numerically equal

to the force of attraction between two particles of unit
mass each separated by unit distance.
• Important Characteristics of Gravitational Force
(i) Gravitational force between two bodies is a central
force i.e., it acts along the line joining the centres of the
two interacting bodies.
(ii) Gravitational force between two bodies is
independent of the nature of the intervening medium.
(iii) Gravitational force between two bodies does not
depend upon the presence of other bodies.
(iv) It is valid for point objects and spherically
symmetrical objects.
(v) Magnitude of force is extremely small.
•• Principle
Principle of
of Superposition
Superposition of
of Gravitation
Gravitation

•• Acceleration
Acceleration Due
Due to
to Gravity
Gravity
The acceleration produced in a body on account of the
force of gravity is known as acceleration due to gravity. It
is usually denoted by ‘g’. It is always towards the centre
of Earth.
If a body of mass ‘m’ lying on the surface of the earth,
the gravitational force acting on the body is given by

•• Mass
Mass and
and Mean
Mean Density
Density of
of Earth
Earth
Mass and Mean density of Earth is given in the following
manner.

•• Variation
Variation of
of Acceleration
Acceleration Due
Due to
to Gravity
Gravity
The value of acceleration due to gravity changes with
height (i.e., altitude), depth, shape of the earth and
rotation of earth about its own axis.
(a) Effect of Altitude. As one goes above the surface of
Earth, value of acceleration due to gravity gradually goes
on decreasing. If gh be the value of acceleration due to
gravity at a height h from the surface of Earth, then

•• Gravitational
Gravitational Field
Field
The space around a body within which its gravitational
force of attraction is experienced by other bodies is
called gravitational Zeld.
•• Intensity
Intensity of
of Gravitational
Gravitational Field
Field
The intensity of the gravitational Zeld of a body at a point
in the Zeld is deZned as the force experienced by a body
of unit mass placed at that point provided the presence
of unit mass does not disturb the original gravitational
Zeld.

•• Gravitational
Gravitational Potential
Potential
The gravitational potential at a point in the gravitational
Zeld of a body is deZned as the amount of work done in
bringing a body of unit mass from inZnity to that point.
Gravitational potential at a point situated at a distance r
from a body or particle of mass M is given by

•• Gravitational
Gravitational Potential
Potential Energy
Energy
The work done in carrying a mass ‘m’ from inZnity to a
point at distance r is called gravitational potential energy.
The gravitational potential energy of the system is given
by

i.e., Gravitational potential energy = gravitational

potential x mass of the body.
It is a scalar quantity and measured in joule.
•• Escape
Escape Velocity
Velocity
The minimum velocity required to project a body
vertically upward from the surface of earth so that it
comes out of the gravitational Zeld of earth is called
escape velocity.

•• Satellite
Satellite
A satellite is a body which is revolving continuously in an
orbit around a comparatively much larger body.
The orbit may be either circular or elliptical. A man-made
object revolving in an orbit around a planet is called an
artiZcial satellite.
•• Orbital
Orbital Velocity
Velocity
Orbital velocity of a satellite is the minimum velocity
required to put the satellite into a given orbit around
earth.

• Geostationary Satellite
The satellite having the same time period of revolution
as that of the earth is called geostationary satellite. Such
satellites should rotate in the equatorial plane from west
to east.
The orbit of a geostationary satellite is called ‘parking
orbit’. These satellites are used for communication
purposes.
A geostationary satellite revolves around the earth in a
circular orbit at a height of about 36,000 km from the
surface of earth.
• IMPORTANT TABLES

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