Use the Force...
What are two properties of the gravitational force?
1. It is the weakest force.
2. It is an attractive force.
3. Any objects that have mass are attracted to each other.
Why is the gravitational force considered a "weak" force?
While all matter is attracted to each other, the gravitational force must overcome things like friction and distance in order to work.
What is centripetal force?
This force is necessary to make an object move in a circle. It is directed perpendicular to the velocity of the object.
Why do planets orbit the sun?
The sun has a large gravitational force which acts as a centripetal force on the planets, causing the planets to move in a circle around the son.
Where does the electromagnetic force exist?
Between particles with an electrical charge.
How is the gravitational force related to the mass of the objects involved?
The gravitational force is directly proportional to the masses of each object.
What is it called when an object is accelerating but its speed is not changing?
centripetal acceleration
What are perturbations?
Perturbations are small variations in a planet's orbit that are caused by other objects in the solar system.
Do particles with the same charge attract or repel each other?
They repel each other.
How is the distance of the masses related to the gravitational force between the two masses?
The gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distances between the objects.
faster
Where is the Kuiper Belt?
A small band of comet material that exists just beyond Neptune. (The Hubble space telescope has confirmed its existence.)
What does the weak force govern?
The weak force governs certain radioactive processes in atoms.
The gravitational force between two objects (mass 1 = 10kg, mass 2 = 6kg) is measured when the objects are 5cm apart. By what factor does the gravitational force change if the 10kg mass is replaced with a 20kg mass?
The factor the gravitational force changes by is 2, because 10kg x 2 = 20kg.
What is the name of the force that is not a real force?
centrifugal force
What type of comets originates in the Kuiper Belt?
Scientists believe short-period comets originate in the Kuiper Belt.
What is the strong force responsible for?
The strong force holds the center of an atom, the nucleus, together.
When we drop a ball, why don't we see the earth moving toward the ball?
The force that the ball applies to the earth is very tiny, so the earth's acceleration is very tiny because its mass is so large.
What is the name of the machine that scientists use to separate solids from liquids?
Centrifuge
Scientists believe there is an Oort Cloud well beyond Pluto that provides long-period comets.