Physics: Circular Motion (True/False)
False Rotational speed would the the same no matter the location. Only tangential speed will be less.
A bug on a turning phonograph record will make more turns per minute if it is located toward the center of the record.
False The gravitational field lines point towards the Earth, and the skydiver falls toward the Earth.
A skydiver jumping from a plane falls in a direction opposite to Earth's gravitational field.
True
A straight line about which rotation takes place is called an axis.
True
An Earth satellite is a projectile that falls around Earth instead of falling into it.
True
Any force that causes an object to move in a circular path is called a centripetal force.
False The moon's tangential velocity keeps it from falling into the earth.
Because Earth and moon are gravitationally attracted toward each other, they will soon collide.
True
Because Earth has mass, it also has a gravitational field.
False Earth's tangential velocity keeps it from falling into the sun.
Because Earth is "falling" around the sun, it will eventually crash into it.
False g = G(M)./R^2. The gravitational field strength is inversely proportional to the radius.
If Earth had its present mass but twice the radius, the acceleration due to gravity would increase.
False We would weigh more because the equation, F = G(m1)(m2)/d^2. The force of attraction is directly proportional to the masses.
If Earth were its present size but twice as massive, we would weigh less.
False The answer is still debate-able, but without Earth's gravity, the moon is most likely to move straight away.
If Earth were to disappear, the moon would still orbit the place Earth was.
True
It is possible to rotate a very large cylindrical space habitat around its central axis just at the right speed so people living in it will experience a force that feels like gravity.
True
Ladybugs on the inside of a spinning bicycle tire can experience a force that feels like gravity.
True
Ocean tides are caused by differences in the gravitational pull between the moon and the opposite sides of Earth.
False g = G(M)/R^2. It also depends on its radius and the gravitational constant.
The acceleration due to gravity depends only on the mass of Earth.
True
The component of an orbiting satellite's velocity that is parallel to Earth's surface is its tangential velocity.
False It's actually called the "Inverse-Square Law".
The force of attraction between two masses depends inversely on the square of the distance between the masses. Any law that has this kind of dependence on distance is called an inverse distance law.
True
The force on a ball decreases as the ball moves farther from Earth.
False Because w = mg. An object's weight depends on its mass.
The gravitational force of Earth on an object does not depend upon the object's mass.
False Centripetal force holds the occupants safely or else they would not revolve.
The only reason riders on a rotating platform in a carnival ride don't fall out is because they are strapped in.
True
The rotational speed of a wheel is defined as the number of rotations it makes in a unit of time.
False The speed of a satellite in circular orbit around Earth is constant.
The speed of a satellite in a circular orbit around Earth changes as it circles Earth.
False Frequency is the number of cycles per second. The time for a satellite to completely orbit Earth is its period.
The time for a satellite to completely orbit Earth is its frequency.
True
There is a force on Earth that is directed toward the sun.
True
When Earth's shadow falls on the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs.
False A solar eclipse occurs.
When the moon's shadow falls on Earth, a lunar eclipse occurs.
True
When the properties of space are altered in such a way that a mass in that space experiences a force, the space is said to contain a gravitational field.
True
When you whirled a can on the end of a string, the centripetal force on the can is actually the pull of the string on the can.
