What are the key differences between inertial mass and gravitational mass?
Inertial mass: Resistance to acceleration (F=ma) | Gravitational mass: Determines gravitational force (F = G(m1m2)/r^2). Experimentally, they are the same.
How does apparent weight differ from actual weight?
Actual weight: Gravitational force on an object. | Apparent weight: The force you feel, influenced by acceleration (normal force).
Compare and contrast gravitational force and gravitational field.
Gravitational Force: the force of attraction between two masses. | Gravitational Field: The influence zone around a massive object.
Differentiate between the effects of upward and downward acceleration on apparent weight.
Upward Acceleration: Apparent weight > true weight | Downward Acceleration: Apparent weight < true weight
Define Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
The gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers of mass: $$F = G rac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}$$
What is gravitational field strength ($g$)?
Gravitational field strength is the gravitational force per unit mass: $$g = rac{F}{m}$$
Define weight in the context of gravitational force.
Weight is the gravitational force exerted by a large astronomical body on a smaller nearby object: $$Weight = F_g = mg$$
What is apparent weight?
Apparent weight is the magnitude of the normal force acting on an object. It's what you *feel* as weight.
Define inertial mass.
Inertial mass measures an object's resistance to changes in motion when interacting with another object.
What is gravitational mass?
Gravitational mass relates to the force of attraction between two objects with mass.
What is the effect of increasing the mass of two objects on the gravitational force between them?
Increasing the mass of either object will increase the gravitational force between them.
What happens to apparent weight when an elevator accelerates upwards?
Apparent weight increases; you feel heavier.
What happens to apparent weight when an elevator accelerates downwards?
Apparent weight decreases; you feel lighter.
What is the effect of being inside a uniform spherical shell of mass?
The net gravitational force on an object inside the shell is zero.
What is the effect of increasing the distance between two objects on the gravitational force between them?
Increasing the distance decreases the gravitational force between them, following an inverse square relationship.
What happens when an object is in freefall?
The object experiences weightlessness, with gravity being the only force acting on it.
