If the gravitational potential at a point is -30 J/kg, what is the gravitational
Practice Questions
Q1
If the gravitational potential at a point is -30 J/kg, what is the gravitational field strength at that point?
3 N/kg
30 N/kg
0 N/kg
Cannot be determined
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the gravitational potential at a point is -30 J/kg, what is the gravitational field strength at that point?
Step 1: Understand that gravitational potential (V) is given as -30 J/kg.
Step 2: Know that the gravitational field strength (E) can be calculated using the formula E = -dV/dr, where dV is the change in gravitational potential and dr is the change in distance.
Step 3: In this case, we can simplify the calculation by recognizing that the gravitational field strength is related to the gravitational potential directly.
Step 4: The gravitational field strength (E) is equal to the negative of the gravitational potential (V) divided by the distance (r) over which the potential changes. However, if we assume a uniform field, we can directly use the value of V.
Step 5: Since V = -30 J/kg, we can say that E = -(-30) = 30 N/kg.
Step 6: Therefore, the gravitational field strength at that point is 30 N/kg.
Gravitational Potential and Field Strength – Understanding the relationship between gravitational potential (V) and gravitational field strength (E), where E is the negative gradient of V.
