Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

Since the gravitational attraction between two objects varies with their mass at

ID: 2118472 • Letter: S

Question

Since the gravitational attraction between two objects varies with their mass at given distance per the Universal Gravitational Constant, why then do two objects with different masses fall at the same rate as described in the Pisa experiment? Or do they? Is not the combined gravitational force of the heavier object and the gravitational force of the Earth greater than the forces of the lighter object and the Earth? And if the force is greater why wouldn't the two objects both accelerate toward each other faster and come into contact quicker than the lighter object and the Earth?

Explanation / Answer

the gravitational force between two objects is

F = (Gm1m2/r^2)

where G = 6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2,m1 and m2 are masses and r is the distance between them

when m1 > m2 then

w1 > w2

that is

m1g > m2g

where g = 9.8 m/s^2

here,w1 and w2 are the weights of the two objects

Therefore,the gravitational force on mass m1 is greater than the force on mass m2.