Gravitational Force (College Board AP® Physics 1: Algebra-Based): Exam Questions

State the nature of the gravitational force between two objects and explain your answer.

i) Describe the range of the gravitational force around an object.

ii) Describe the relationship between the mass of an object and the magnitude of its gravitational force.

State two conditions that would change the relative position between the centers of mass of two systems located outside of a uniform gravitational field.

State the conditions required for the gravitational force around a planet to be considered constant.

Define a gravitational field.

i) State the name of the force experienced by a mass in a gravitational field.

ii) State the visual representation that shows the direction of the gravitational force.

A moon is in orbit around a planet.

State and give a reason for the direction of the planet's gravitational force.

Explain how the strength of a gravitational field is represented visually.

i) State the condition required for the observed acceleration of an object to be numerically equal to the magnitude of the gravitational field strength.

ii) State the name of the gravitational field strength when expressed in .

Define the term vacuum, and explain the significance of a vacuum for falling objects.

State the value of acceleration due to gravity at Earth's surface in a vacuum. Justify your answer quantitively.

Describe the role of air resistance on an object in free fall.

State the two equations and the variables used to calculate gravitational field strength.

State the conditions required for an object to appear weightless.

Explain the meaning of the term apparent weight.

Define the terms inertial mass and gravitational mass.