Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Gravitational field of a point mass

Gravitational field of a point mass — practice question

A lone spherical planet has a diameter of $6.8 \times 10^{6}\,\text{m}$. You may regard its mass of $6.4 \times 10^{23}\,\text{kg}$ as concentrated at a point at the centre of the planet.
(a)[2]

Show that the gravitational field strength at the surface of the planet is $3.7\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$.

(b)[3]

A stone of mass $2.4\,\text{kg}$ is lifted from the surface of the planet through a vertical height of $1800\,\text{m}$. Use the field strength value from (a) to find the change in gravitational potential energy of the stone. Show your working.

(c)

A rock, initially at rest at infinity, moves towards the planet. At point $P$, its height above the surface of the planet is $3.5D$, where $D$ is the diameter of the planet, as shown in Fig.$\,1.1$.

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