AQA A-Level Physics 7408
Measurements and Their Errors
Particles and Radiation
Waves
Mechanics and Materials
Electricity
Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics
Fields and Their Consequences
Nuclear Physics
AstrophysicsOptional topic
Medical PhysicsOptional topic
Engineering PhysicsOptional topic
Turning Points in PhysicsOptional topic
ElectronicsOptional topic
Fields and Their Consequences
Gravitational potential
- 4 things to know
- Papers 2 and 3
Overview
Potential and potential difference, equipotential surfaces, and the graphs of g and V against r.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What is gravitational potential at distance r, and what are equipotential surfaces?
What do the graphs of field strength and of potential against distance look like?
How is gravitational field strength related to the gradient of gravitational potential?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Define gravitational potential at a point.
Model answer
Gravitational potential at a point is the work done per unit mass in bringing a small test mass from infinity to that point.
- 2
What is the value of gravitational potential at infinity?
Model answer
Zero.
- 3
Why is infinity chosen as the reference point where gravitational potential equals zero?
Model answer
At infinity, a test mass is so far from all other masses that there is no gravitational interaction, making it a convenient universal reference point.
- 4
Define gravitational potential difference.
Model answer
Gravitational potential difference is the difference in gravitational potential between two points in a gravitational field.
- 5
State the formula for the work done in moving a mass m through a gravitational potential difference ΔV.
Model answer
ΔW = mΔV
- 6
In the equation ΔW = mΔV, what does each symbol represent?
Model answer
ΔW is the work done, m is the mass being moved, and ΔV is the gravitational potential difference between the two points.
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