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Gravitational fields key terms
Study Gravitational fields with curriculum-aligned Key Terms resources, practice links, and exam-focused support.
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key terms
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Gravitational fields
Key terms
Newton's law of gravitation
The gravitational force between two masses is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
gravitational field strength
The gravitational force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in N/kg.
Newton's law of gravitation
The gravitational force between two masses is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Inverse-square law
A physical law stating that the intensity of a physical quantity (such as gravitational force) decreases with the square of the distance from the source.
Gravitational Force
The attractive force between two masses, calculated using Newton's law of gravitation.
Gravitational Field Strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in N/kg.
Gravitational Force
The attractive force between two masses, proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Gravitational Field Strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in newtons per kilogram (N/kg).
Gravitational Field Strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in N/kg.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, calculated as the product of mass and gravitational field strength, measured in newtons (N).
Gravitational Field Strength
The force experienced by a unit mass in a gravitational field, measured in N/kg.
Gravitational Potential Energy
The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, calculated as the product of mass, gravitational field strength, and height.
gravitational field strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in N/kg.
weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, calculated as the product of mass and gravitational field strength, measured in newtons (N).
gravitational field strength graph
A graphical representation showing how gravitational field strength varies with distance from a mass.
inverse-square law
A principle stating that the gravitational force between two masses decreases with the square of the distance between their centers.
gravitational potential
The work done per unit mass to move an object from infinity to a point in a gravitational field.
gravitational field strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, measured in newtons per kilogram (N/kg).
gravitational potential energy
The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, calculated using the formula Ep = m x g x h.
gravitational field strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed in a gravitational field, defined as the gravitational force per unit mass.
gravitational potential
gravitational potential: a curriculum-specific A-Level Physics term used in Gravitational potential. It supports the learning objective to interpret gravitational potential graphs. by naming the field quantity, relationship or interpretation students must apply, rather than giving a generic definition. In exam answers, use it with the correct unit, direction, sign convention or graph interpretation where relevant.
gravitational field strength
The force experienced by a unit mass placed at a point in a gravitational field.
Potential Difference
The work done per unit charge in moving a charge between two points in an electric field.
Work Done
Work Done: a curriculum-specific A-Level Physics term used in Gravitational potential. It supports the learning objective to link potential difference to work done in moving masses. by naming the field quantity, relationship or interpretation students must apply, rather than giving a generic definition. In exam answers, use it with the correct unit, direction, sign convention or graph interpretation where relevant.
gravitational force
The attractive force between two masses, calculated using Newton's law of gravitation.
centripetal force
The net force required to keep an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle.
orbital speed
The constant speed of an object in a circular orbit, calculated using the formula v = 2πr/T, where v is orbital speed, r is the radius of the orbit, and T is the orbital period.
orbital period
The time taken for one complete orbit of an object around a central body, calculated using the formula T = 2πr/v, where T is the orbital period, r is the radius of the orbit, and v is the orbital speed.
Geostationary Orbit
An orbit where a satellite remains in a fixed position relative to the Earth's surface, requiring a period equal to the Earth's rotation period.
Centripetal Force
The net force required to keep an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of the circle.
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