Rankers Physics
Topic: Gravitation
Subtopic: Acceleration Due to Gravity and its variation

Imagine a new planet having the same density as that of earth but it is 3 times bigger than the earth in size. If the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of earth is g and that on the surface of the new planet is g', then :
g' = 3g
g' = g/9
g' = 9g
g'=27 g

Solution:

The acceleration due to gravity \( g' \) on the new planet can be calculated using the formula:

\[
g' = \frac{GM}{R^2}.
\]

For the new planet:

- Its radius \( R' = 3R \) (3 times the radius of Earth).
- Its mass \( M' \) is given by \( M' = \text{density} \times \text{volume} = \rho \times \frac{4}{3} \pi (R')^3 = \rho \times \frac{4}{3} \pi (3R)^3 = 27 \times \rho \times \frac{4}{3} \pi R^3 = 27M \) (mass is 27 times that of Earth).

Substituting into the formula:

\[
g' = \frac{G(27M)}{(3R)^2} = \frac{27GM}{9R^2} = 3g.
\]

Thus, \( g' = 3g \).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *