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Chapter 17

Gravitation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this chapter you will learn how to:

●apply Newton’s law of gravitation

●apply the concept of gravitational field strength

●use Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion

●apply Newton’s law of gravitation to orbiting bodies

●understand how Kepler’s laws follow from Newton’s law of gravitation and the laws of mechanics

understand the concepts of gravitational potential energy and gravitational potential

derive an expression for the total energy of a body in a gravitational field

solve problems on orbital motion

calculate the escape speed from any point in a gravitational field

recognize the effects of a frictional force (viscous drag) on a satellite’s orbit radius and speed

GUIDING questions

What does the law of gravitation imply for the motion of a falling apple and a celestial body?