Gravity and Forces
What happens to gravitational force as the distance between two objects increases?
It doubles.
hat makes gravity and magnetism both "field forces" or "forces at a distance"?
They act on objects without physical contact.
What are the three possible outcomes for a satellite depending on its velocity?
Orbit, escape into space, or crash into the planet.
If you double the mass of one object, what happens to the gravitational force between them?
It doubles.
In the magnet investigation, what happened to the magnetic force as the magnets were moved farther apart?
It decreased — the force got weaker with distance.
Why doesn't a satellite in stable orbit crash into Earth even though gravity is always pulling it in?
Its sideways velocity keeps carrying it forward so it falls around Earth.
Two objects are moved from 2 m apart to 4 m apart. The gravitational force is now what fraction of what it was?
1/4 as strong. (2² = 4)
What happens to magnetic force as the distance between two magnets increases?
It decreases — same pattern as gravity.
If a planet orbits farther from the Sun, what happens to its orbital period?
It gets longer — bigger orbits take more time to complete.
Object A pulls Object B with 60 N. How hard does Object B pull back on Object A?
60 N — forces are always equal and opposite.
A large magnet and a small magnet attract each other. Which one pulls harder?
Neither — the forces are always equal.
A satellite is moved to a higher orbit farther from Earth. What happens to the speed it needs to stay in orbit?
It decreases — less speed is needed farther from the planet.
Two objects are moved three times farther apart. The gravitational force is now what fraction of what it was?
1/9 as strong. (3² = 9)
How are gravitational force and magnetic force similar? Name one way they are different.
Multiple Answers
What does Kepler's third law tell us about the relationship between an orbit's size and its period?
Bigger orbit = longer period, and the period grows faster than the size of the orbit.