Factor affecting Acceleration due to Gravity
- Shape of Earth: It is known that the shape of the earth is not spherical it’s quite oval so the gravitational force is different at different places.
- The force of attraction is maximum at the pole of the earth approximately 9.82 m/s2 as the radius of the earth is minimum at the pole. While the force of gravitation is minimum at the equator of the earth at approximately 9.78 m/s2 as the radius of the earth is maximum at the equator
- Altitude: When a body moves away from the surface of the earth the force of attraction decreases as the distance between the earth and the body increases.
- Depth: When a body is put inside the earth’s surface the acceleration due to gravity becomes less.
Acceleration due to Gravity
Acceleration due to gravity (or acceleration of gravity) or gravity acceleration is the acceleration caused by the gravitational force of attraction of large bodies. As we know that the term acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with respect to a given time. Scientists like Sir Isaac Newton and Lord Henry Cavendish soon discovered that this increase in speed, or acceleration, was caused by a different force known as gravity by studying objects falling to the Earth in a variety of circumstances.
According to definitions, gravity is a force that pulls objects toward the center of mass, like the Earth. Conversely, acceleration describes how an object’s velocity or speed changes over time. Hence, the value of acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2 on earth.
Table of Content
- What is Acceleration due to Gravity?
- Acceleration due to Gravity Formula
- Units of Acceleration due to Gravity
- Derivation for the formula of acceleration due to gravity
- Calculation of the Value of Acceleration due to Gravity
- Factor affecting Acceleration due to Gravity
- Effects on g due to Height (h)
- Effects on g due to Depth D
- Effects on g due to Shape of Earth
- Effects on g due to the Rotation