What is the shape of the equipotential surfaces around a point mass?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the shape of the equipotential surfaces around a point mass?
Straight lines
Parabolas
Spheres
Cylinders
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the shape of the equipotential surfaces around a point mass?
Step 1: Understand what a point mass is. A point mass is an object that has mass but takes up no space, like a tiny dot.
Step 2: Know what equipotential surfaces are. These are surfaces where the potential energy is the same at every point.
Step 3: Remember that gravity pulls objects towards a mass. The gravitational force from a point mass acts equally in all directions.
Step 4: Visualize how the gravitational force spreads out from the point mass. It creates a shape that is the same in all directions.
Step 5: Recognize that the shape created by this equal force in all directions is a sphere.
Step 6: Conclude that since the equipotential surfaces are where the potential energy is the same, and they are shaped by the gravitational force, they must be spherical around a point mass.
