GRAVITATION: NCERT MASTERCLASS
Complete NCERT Study Notes & 5-Part Mega Quiz for NEET
1. Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Johannes Kepler formulated three empirical laws describing the motion of planets around the sun:
- Law of Orbits: All planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun situated at one of the foci.
- Law of Areas: The line that joins any planet to the sun sweeps equal areas in equal intervals of time. This law is a consequence of the conservation of angular momentum.
- Law of Periods: The square of the time period of revolution of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the ellipse traced out by the planet.
2. Universal Law of Gravitation
Newton's law states that every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Where $G = 6.67 \times 10^{-11} \text{ N m}^2/\text{kg}^2$ is the Universal Gravitational Constant. Gravity is a conservative, central, and always attractive force.
3. Acceleration Due to Gravity ($g$)
The acceleration experienced by a freely falling body due to the gravitational force of the Earth is called acceleration due to gravity ($g$). On the surface of the Earth, $g = \frac{GM}{R^2} \approx 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2$.
Variation of $g$:
- With Height ($h$): $g_h = g \left(1 - \frac{2h}{R}\right)$ (for $h \ll R$)
- With Depth ($d$): $g_d = g \left(1 - \frac{d}{R}\right)$. The value of $g$ becomes zero at the centre of the Earth.
4. Gravitational Potential Energy & Escape Speed
Gravitational Potential Energy ($U$): The work done in bringing a mass from infinity to a point in the gravitational field. $U = - \frac{GMm}{r}$. It is always negative.
$$v_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{R}} = \sqrt{2gR} \approx 11.2 \text{ km/s}$$
5. Earth Satellites & Energy
Orbital Speed ($v_o$): The velocity required to put a satellite into its orbit. $v_o = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{r}}$. Notice that $v_e = \sqrt{2} v_o$.
Energy of an Orbiting Satellite:
- Kinetic Energy ($K$) = $+ \frac{GMm}{2r}$
- Potential Energy ($U$) = $- \frac{GMm}{r}$
- Total Energy ($E$) = $- \frac{GMm}{2r}$ (The negative sign indicates that the satellite is bound to the Earth).
🚀 NEET GRAVITATION MEGA QUIZ (100 MCQ)
Solve the 5 parts below to master Gravity, Escape Velocity, and Satellites.




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