Newton's Law of Gravity: Exploring Acceleration

In summary: If I stand on a chair, the chair and I attract each other with the same force as that with which we both attract the Earth. There is still no acceleration, but the Earth accelerates toward us.In summary, Newton's law of gravity states that the acceleration of an object on Earth is 9.8 m/s^2. When considering an object with the same mass as the Earth, each object will attract the other with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2. This does not result in a total acceleration of 19.6 m/s^2, but rather a decrease in distance between the objects at a rate of 19.6 m/s^2. This fixed acceleration also applies to the
  • #1
Nissan
10
0
I was thinking about Newton's law of gravity:
F = Gm1m2/r^2.
with this law we can see that the acceleration of on object in Earth is (G*mass of the earth) which is 9.8N.
what happens if we cosider in our equation abody which his mass is equvalnce to the mass of the earth?
each object will give the other an acceleration of 9.8N, does it mean's that the total acceleration would be 19.6N? does that mean's that we attract the Earth as well in a fixed acceleration?
 
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  • #2
Nissan said:
does that mean's that we attract the Earth as well in a fixed acceleration?

Look at the equation again. (m2...)
 
  • #3
Nissan said:
I was thinking about Newton's law of gravity:
F = Gm1m2/r^2.
with this law we can see that the acceleration of on object in Earth is (G*mass of the earth) which is 9.8N.
what happens if we cosider in our equation abody which his mass is equvalnce to the mass of the earth?
each object will give the other an acceleration of 9.8N, does it mean's that the total acceleration would be 19.6N? does that mean's that we attract the Earth as well in a fixed acceleration?

Your post is simply incomprehensible. The acceleration is not measured in N (Newtons), but in [itex] \mbox{m s}^{-2} [/itex].

Daniel.
 
  • #4
Good catch, Dexter. I've never used Newtons for anything, so I didn't know what that N meant. :redface:
(Seriously... I never heard of a Newton until I got onto PF. I still don't know what it is. Everything that I've ever done was in Watts, Foot-pounds, psi, etc..)
 
  • #5
In addition, there is no such thing as "total acceleration". If two objects were the same mass and at a distance such that the acceleration was 9.8 meters per second squared, the each would be attracted toward the other at 9.8 meters per second squared. You could then calculate that the distance between them was decreasing at a rate that was increasing at 19.6 meters per second squared but that would not be an "acceleration" of any object.

To answer your last question: yes, we attract the Earth at a fixed acceleration. Since "we" attract the Earth with the same force as that the Earth applies to the object, but the Earth is much more massive than "we" are, that fixed acceleration is unmeasurably small.

This applies, of course, only to objects in free fall. If I am standing on the earth, the Earth and I attract each other with the same force, but there is no acceleration.
 

FAQ: Newton's Law of Gravity: Exploring Acceleration

What is Newton's Law of Gravity?

Newton's Law of Gravity is a fundamental law of physics that explains the force of attraction between two objects with mass. It states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

How did Newton discover this law?

Sir Isaac Newton first discovered the Law of Gravity in the late 17th century when he noticed that an apple fell from a tree to the ground. He then began to think about the force that caused the apple to fall, and through experimentation and mathematical calculations, he developed the Law of Gravity.

What is acceleration due to gravity?

Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration of an object caused by the force of gravity. It is a constant value of 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s^2) on Earth, meaning that any object near the Earth's surface will accelerate at a rate of 9.8 m/s^2 towards the ground.

How does mass and distance affect the force of gravity?

The Law of Gravity states that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the masses of the objects increase, the force of gravity between them also increases. Similarly, as the distance between the objects increases, the force of gravity decreases.

How is Newton's Law of Gravity used in real-life applications?

Newton's Law of Gravity is used in various real-life applications, such as understanding the motion of planets and other celestial bodies, predicting the orbits of satellites, and designing spacecraft trajectories. It is also used in the field of engineering to design structures and machines that can withstand the force of gravity.

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