Gravitational acceleration Definition and 119 Threads

In physics, gravitational acceleration is the acceleration of an object in free fall within a vacuum (and thus without experiencing drag). This is the steady gain in speed caused exclusively by the force of gravitational attraction. At given GPS coordinates on the Earth's surface and a given altitude, all bodies accelerate in vacuum at the same rate, regardless of the masses or compositions of the bodies; the measurement and analysis of these rates is known as gravimetry.
At different points on Earth's surface, the free fall acceleration ranges from 9.764 m/s2 to 9.834 m/s2 depending on altitude and latitude, with a conventional standard value of exactly 9.80665 m/s2 (approximately 32.17405 ft/s2). Locations of significant variation from this value are known as gravity anomalies. This does not take into account other effects, such as buoyancy or drag.

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  1. T

    Superluminal Gravitational Acceleration

    Can gravitational attraction (generated by a super-massive black hole, for instance) accelerate you faster than c?
  2. E

    Gravitational Acceleration given mass and radius

    Homework Statement If you lived on a planet with five times the mass of Earth and twice the radius, what would be the gravitational acceleration at the surface of your planet? Homework Equations GM/r^2 Mass of Earth = 6.00*10^24 kg Radius of Earth = 6.38*10^3 km The Attempt at a...
  3. J

    Why is this calculation of earth gravitational acceleration incorrect?

    Hello there, I was taught: a = {v^2 \over R}. I substitute v for the speed of the rotating Earth at the equator, and the radius, R = 6378m. And I get a = 0.03 \rm m/s^2. It looks like the equation a = {v^2 \over R} may incorrect. Why am I taught this equation in University if it is false...
  4. B

    Why does gravity cause acceleration in modern physics?

    If this question has an obvious answer, please excuse my ignorance. I'm still very new to the world of physics relative to most of you. But my question is simple. In Newtonian physics I know the rather simple explanation along with the corresponding formulas but in modern physics I'm a little...
  5. T

    Gravitational Acceleration of Pendulum

    I am doing a lab report for IB Physics SL and I am supposed to use the slope of the period of a pendulum graphed against the length to find gravitational acceleration. I am trying to use the equation T=2∏√(l/g) but I'm not getting the right answer when I solve for g. (the answer is in s^2/m...
  6. W

    Free-fall acceleration vs gravitational acceleration

    Hi, experts I got a naive question about the relation between the free-fall acceleration vs gravitational acceleration. When you consider the rotation of the Earth around the axis which runs through the north and south poles, the free-fall acceleration "g" of an object with mass m is different...
  7. M

    The gravitational acceleration g

    Suppose a particle of mass M is under gravitational attraction. The Newton's law of gravitation says that F=GMm/r^2, and the part Gm/r^2 is g (acceleration due to gravity how?)
  8. P

    Basic question regarding gravitational acceleration

    Hello, I have a very basic physics question. If I lift a body of mass 1 kg into air, it will be attracted by a downward force F = mg = 98.1 N. What I want to know is what would be the downward velocity of the object? If I release an object of mass 1 kg from a height of 1 m, with what...
  9. rakeru

    Finding Gravitational Acceleration from a Slope

    Homework Statement I have a graph of time squared vs. height. It shows the relationship between the height of a ball and how long it takes for it to fall, squared. I don't have this in the form of a question, but I need to use the slope, which is 0.211 s^2/m, and turn it into a value for...
  10. I

    Vacuum, atmospheric pressure and constant gravitational acceleration

    This isn't home work, just a curiosity question and I'm obviously under qualified to find the answer. Looking to approximate how the amount of of vacuum in inches of Hg negate the affects of atmospheric pressure in regards to acceleration. We all remember when David Scott let loose the...
  11. C

    Integrating gravitational acceleration of particles for simulation

    I've tried out the two body problem and tried to work out the trajectories with respect to their center of mass frame(located at the origin) as follows (it worked!:smile:): particles = m1 and m2 Fm1 = force of m2 on m1 Fm2 = force of m1 on m2 a = Gm2\hat{r} / r2 \hat{r} is the unit vector...
  12. G

    I calculating gravitational acceleration.

    Homework Statement What is the acceleration of gravity on Planet X on which an object weighs 300 N if it weighs 98 N on Earth? Homework Equations My first thought was Dividing 300 N / 98 N. The Attempt at a Solution 300 N/ 98 N = 3.06 m/s2
  13. R

    Calculate gravitational acceleration in a vacuum?

    The gravitational acceleration in vacuum varies with latitude, elevation, and local inhomogeneities in the Earth's crust. Use the following equation to find g in Lawrence based on a latitude of λ=38°57' ±3' and an elevation of H=259±10m. Calculate the uncertainty using the total difference.g =...
  14. A

    Find gravitational acceleration through luminosity

    Homework Statement Use equation 1.3 to estimate the solar radius Ro from its luminosity and effective temperature. Show that the gravitational acceleration g at the surface is about 30 times larger than that on Earth.Homework Equations (1.3) L=4∏R2σSBT4The Attempt at a Solution Well we know the...
  15. D

    MHB Gravitational acceleration

    A satellite 300km above the Earth's radius would have the same gravitational acceleration magnitude? $$ \mathbf{F} = \frac{GM_{e}m_s}{r^2}\approx \frac{GM_e}{r^2} $$ Correct?
  16. S

    F = MA Exam 2012 # 23 (Measuring local gravitational acceleration)

    Homework Statement Which of the following sets of equipment cannot be used to measure the local value of the acceleration due to gravity (g)? (A) A spring scale (which reads in force units) and a known mass. (B) A rod of known length, an unknown mass, and a stopwatch. (C) An inclined...
  17. K

    Finding gravitational acceleration near the surface of a planet with a satellite

    Homework Statement find acceleration due to gravity near the surface of a planet with a satellite by finding the mass of the planet and substituting it into the formula for the law of universal gravitation Homework Equations fc=mac fg=GMm/R^2 fg=fc fg=mg The Attempt at a...
  18. Crazymechanic

    Question about gravitational acceleration

    not so good at math so please help me.When I play with those artificial gravity or should say centripetal force calculators I get some pretty big numbers so I need some verification of them. Is it true that spinning a let's say 1m. radius disc with 50 000rpm/min you would get like 2795609.8954...
  19. P

    Finding error on gravitational acceleration

    How may the error on gravitational acceleration (g) be determined, given a set of measurements of time (t) and distance (d)? It is stated that the distances are measured precisely and time with an accuracy of 0.01 sec. I have applied Least Squares on t = √(2/g) * √d and found (σ of √g) albeit...
  20. M

    Gravitational Acceleration (Gauss law)

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Just to clarify the question, the value given for R2 is the overall radius of Earth, it isn't R1-R2. (At least, that's my interpretation given that the R2 value is approx. the Earth's radius) The Attempt at a Solution Don't really know how...
  21. M

    Differing Mass, Same Size, In Atmosphere- gravitational acceleration

    In a vacuum, gravity acts on different mass exactly the same. However, what about on earth...what is the relationship between two identical sized objects, in the exact same atmosphere...but of different mass? For example, dropping two identical sized bowling balls from height of 10 meters...
  22. D

    Gravitational Acceleration at Different Latitudes

    Homework Statement The rotation of the Earth affects the apparent gravitational acceleration at different latitudes. At a location on the Equator, a man’s weight is registered as 709.7 N on a set of very accurate scales. Assuming a perfectly spherical Earth, determine what the same set...
  23. S

    Magnitude of gravitational acceleration at distance r

    Homework Statement Find an expression for the ratio g(r)/g(RE) of the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration at a distance r from the centre of the Earth to that at the surface of the Earth, for r > RE, i.e. for points above the surface of the Earth. Homework Equations F(grav) = -Gm1m2 /...
  24. Q

    Couldn't you accelerate past light by means of gravitational acceleration?

    If I type in any equation for acceleration due to gravity, I can look and see that it will eventually become bigger than 186,000 miles per second. So, what's stopping the acceleration from being faster than light if the principal of the curvature of the fabric for space allows matter to follow a...
  25. J

    Gravitational Acceleration and Rising Objects

    So I'm performing an experiment at my university in which we've got to construct a sounding balloon payload to measure the relative changes in gravity for up to 100,000 feet. I'm having a bit of trouble, however, sorting out the math and such. So the payload is rising, and its position will...
  26. Z

    Gravitational Acceleration and Determining Height

    Homework Statement A person standing on a bridge overlooking a highway inadvertently drops an apple over the railing just as the front end of a truck passes directly below the railing. If the vehicle is moving at 55km/h and is 12m long, how far above the truck must the railing be if the...
  27. F

    In curved space-time, what causes gravitational acceleration?

    Hi, Just a quick question I can't get my head around... Say I have a big planet sitting in intergalactic space and I place myself somewhere in the vicinity, relatively stationary to it. So I am not moving, the planet is not moving, how do I then 'follow' a curve in space-time? Am I assumed to...
  28. I

    Gravitational acceleration from moon

    Hi , How could I calculate the acceleration of an object on the Earth's surface , say at the equator , from the influence of the moon , when the moon is directly overhead? I have calculated the force of attraction from the moon to be 1.99 x 10^(20) N. Now to find the gravitaional...
  29. N

    Gravitational acceleration at Mariana Trench

    Maybe someone can help with this question: How to calculate as possible precisely gravitational acceleration (g) at Mariana Trench?
  30. K

    What is this constant in the gravitational acceleration formula?

    Homework Statement Hey all, I'm doing an assignment and I was given the formula below, but I'm unsure what one of the constants is. Homework Equations Acceleration = - μEr/r3 The Attempt at a Solution Below the formula it says "where μE is the gravitational constant for the Earth...
  31. S

    How does gravitational acceleration change near an event horizon?

    I had a quick look through the topics and I can't seem to find a thread that already addressed this question, but if it has been addressed then I apologise in advance for repetition. If I drop an object from a specific height above an event horizon, how do I calculate the speed it will attain...
  32. N

    Variable gravitational acceleration

    If there are two massive bodies in an isolated space, how does one derive the formula describing their motion, in other words, how do I combine the gravitational field and kinematic equations into one?
  33. I

    Projectile motion and gravitational acceleration

    Homework Statement A projectile is fired from the origin O at an angle 45 degrees from the horizontal. At the highest point P of its trajectory, determine the radial and transverse components of it's acceleration in terms of the gravitational acceleration g Homework Equations x=...
  34. Z

    Mechanism of gravitational acceleration in GR

    I understand how non-euclidean space curvature can cause a change in direction of inertial motion but I don't understand how it can cause acceleration. I guess the reason will be that not only space is curved but also time and that the time curvature somehow will provide the energy needed...
  35. J

    Relativistic correction for gravitational acceleration

    If you have an object traveling at a velocity v at a point where, if the object had zero velocity, its gravitational acceleration would be a, what is the formula for calculating the relativistic correction for its acceleration at this point? Does it depend on the angle between the velocity...
  36. A

    Mass addition due to gravitational acceleration

    I read an article about super massive black holes that are millions a billion times larger than our sun. In reading this article i began thinking about gravitational acceleration and what the effects would be on incoming objects. I ran through a bunch of equations and found that the mass gain...
  37. J

    How to Calculate Gravitational Acceleration on a Planet with Core and Shell?

    I am trying to figure out a gravitational acceleration of a planetary surface with two parts; a core and shell, radius and densities for each are given. I am not sure which equation to use to get started, will I find the gravitational acceleration of the core and then the shell? I just am not...
  38. A

    Gravitational acceleration VS the speed of light

    Three preconceptions for our thought experiment: 1. Gravity's effects propagate at a rate faster than the speed of light. This is demonstrated by the fact that the Earth is not thrown out into space due to the constantly shifting position of the Sun and an 8.3 min delay of "gravity waves"...
  39. R

    How do you calculate gravitational acceleration with a pendulum?

    How do you calculate 'g' when the length and the period is known for a pendulum I know you do it by rearranging this equation T = 2π√(L/g). But how exactly do you prove that equation?? just curious...:rolleyes:
  40. N

    Calculating Gravitational Acceleration

    I'm not 100% if I had worded the title correctly, but I was wondering how to calculate the acceleration of a ball dropping at height. I have it's weight, time and height. 0.45kg 67 milliseconds 3m height
  41. M

    Gravitational Acceleration to calculate radius of Jupiter

    Homework Statement The moon Europa, of the planet Jupiter, has an orbital period of 3.55 days and an average distance from the center of the planet equal to 671,000 km. If the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration at the surface of Jupiter is 2.36 times greater than that on the...
  42. O

    Calculating Black Hole Mass Limit for Gravitational Acceleration Change

    Homework Statement Calculate the black hole mass limit such that the change in the gravitational acceleration at a distance 50Rs over a small interval of 2m doesn't exceed 10m/s2. Use Newton's Theory of Gravity in the calculation. Homework Equations Schwarszchild Radius: Rs = 2GM / c2...
  43. S

    Finding the Gravitational Acceleration of a sphere with two cavities.

    Homework Statement My problem asks to find the gravitational acceleration at a point (P) due to the sphere with two spherical cavities. I am given the radius of the sphere (R), the radius of each of the two cavities (r1 and r2, which are the same), the distance between the center of the...
  44. B

    Finding gravitational acceleration

    Homework Statement A cannon is fired on another planet straight up at 25 m/s. It reaches a maximum height of 50m. What is the value of the gravitational acceleration? Homework Equations v = v_i + at x = .5 (v_i + vt) The Attempt at a Solution using the first equation, a = (v -...
  45. C

    Gravitational acceleration of a satellite

    I don`t understand the solution for the following question: A satellite is in orbit around the earth. Consider the following quantities: 1. distance from the center of the earth 2. mass of the earth 3. mass of the satellite The gravitational acceleration g depends on which of the above...
  46. C

    Diminishing Gravitational Acceleration with Distance

    I'm wondering what the equation is that shows how a gravitational field diminishes with distance from the object of mass. I would be looking for an equation showing the difference in the value of gravitational acceleration at points in space with increasing distance from the body. Would this be...
  47. W

    Calculating the gravitational acceleration

    When calculating the gravitational acceleration between two objects of comparable mass, should I find the acceleration caused by gravity for both masses and then add the accelerations togeether, or should I just find the acceleration for one of the masses? I was thinking that since there's a...
  48. J

    Gravitational acceleration of relativistic objects.

    If you have an object (e.g. an alpha particle) traveling at nearly the speed of light towards another massive object (e.g. a black hole) from a large distance, how would you calculate the gravitational acceleration on that object from the viewpoint of an external observer? Obviously, the...
  49. S

    Measuring gravitational acceleration in a vacuum

    I have to measure gravitational acceleration, and calculate my rate of error. The experiment i came up with is: a thick plastic tube, with no air inside, on the top side some sort of release mechanism, then have two motion detctors, 1M apart from each other, hooked up to a stopwatch to measure...
  50. S

    Same gravitational acceleration of unequal masses

    I understand that objects of different masses will accelerate equally in a vacuum. This is because the force of acceleration from gravity is the same regardless of mass. I also know I can manipulate the F=ma equation to a=f/m, which also shows the above to the true. Intuitively, though, I...
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