Flashcards
Gravitational fields: field strength and field lines
Cards in this deck (10)
- 1Describe the force of gravityGravity is an attractive force between masses.
- 2What is meant by a 'field of force'?A field of a force is a region in which a particular object (e.g. charge, mass or magnet) experiences a force.
- 3How are field lines used to represent a field?A line and its arrow show the direction of the force. The spacing of field lines indicates the strength of the field. Here, the magnetic field is strongest (and the lines closest) at the poles of the magnet
- 4What would a sketch of gravitational field lines over a small region of the Earth's surface look like?The diagram shows a uniform (field lines are evenly spaced) vertically downwards field.
- 5What would a diagram showing the gravitational field around the whole Earth look like?The diagram shows a uniform radial field.
radial = field lines point towards the centre of the Earth
uniform = field lines are evenly spaced
- 6Define the term 'gravitational feld strength'.Gravitational field strength is defined as the
'force per unit mass' at a point in a gravitational field - 7State the equation for gravitational field strengthWhere, g is gravitational field strength, and F the gravitational force on mass m.
- 8Which scientist first proposed the idea of a 'line of force' (field line)?Michael Faraday
- 9State the unit of gravitational field strengthThe equation shows that g (gravitational field strength) has the unit of newtons per kilogram
- 10To what other quantity is g equivalent?g (gravitational field strength) is equivalent to the 'acceleration due to gravity'.
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- Flashcards on Untitled, created by lthistlewood2013 on 27/09/2014.
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