Gravitation

153Questions
Updated Jun 28, 2026

Gravitation is the natural force of attraction between any two objects in the universe. Every object, whether big or small, attracts every other object with this force. This is called the gravitational force.

Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation:
Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Formula: F = G × (m₁ × m₂) / r²
Here,
F = gravitational force between two objects
m₁ and m₂ = masses of the two objects
r = distance between their centers
G = universal gravitational constant (6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²)

Gravity:
The Earth attracts all objects towards its center. This force of attraction is called gravity. Due to gravity, objects fall towards the Earth when dropped.

Acceleration due to Gravity (g):
When an object falls freely under the influence of gravity, it has an acceleration called acceleration due to gravity.
Its value on Earth is about 9.8 m/s².

Mass and Weight:

Mass is the amount of matter in a body. It remains constant everywhere.

Weight is the force with which the Earth attracts a body.
Formula: Weight = Mass × Gravity (W = m × g)
Weight changes from place to place because the value of g changes.

Free Fall:
When an object falls only under the influence of gravity and no other force acts on it, the motion is called free fall.

Thrust and Pressure:
Thrust is the total force acting perpendicularly on a surface.
Pressure is the force acting per unit area.
Formula: Pressure = Force / Area
Pressure decreases if the area increases.

Archimedes’ Principle:
When a body is immersed in a fluid, it experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it. This explains why some objects float and others sink.

Relative Density:
Relative density is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water.
Formula: Relative Density = Density of substance / Density of water.

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Questions on Gravitation

Showing 1–30 of 153
1.A person standing on a weighing machine inside an elevator that is accelerating upwards will feel: 2.The concept of 'g' being approximately 9.8 m/s² is valid: 3.A body is said to be in free fall if: 4.Which statement is correct about the variation of 'g'? 5.The period of a satellite orbiting Earth depends on its orbital radius. This is an application of: 6.The principle of universal gravitation implies that gravity acts between: 7.If the Earth suddenly became 10 times more massive, without changing its radius, your weight would: 8.The force of attraction between any two objects in the universe is called: 9.What is the relationship between gravitational force and the square of the distance between two objects? 10.When an object falls towards the Earth, the Earth also moves towards the object, but the Earth's acceleration is much smaller because: 11.The buoyant force acts: 12.The trajectory of a stone thrown horizontally from a cliff is an example of motion under: 13.The energy possessed by an object due to its position or state is called: 14.The gravitational force is negligible between everyday objects because: 15.Why do some objects float and some sink in water? 16.The force of gravity on a freely falling body is: 17.The value of g at the surface of a planet depends on the planet's: 18.The gravitational force between two point masses m1 and m2 is F. If the distance between them is d, and then d is doubled, the force becomes F'. What is the ratio F/F'? 19.If an object is dropped from a height, its potential energy converts into: 20.The concept of gravity helps in understanding the formation of: 21.A person weighs 600 N on Earth. What will be their mass on Earth? (g = 10 m/s² for simplicity) 22.Which of the following statements about 'g' (acceleration due to gravity) is correct? 23.The gravitational force on an object does not depend on its: 24.The speed of a freely falling object after time 't' (starting from rest) is given by: 25.Two masses are placed 1 m apart. If their masses are 1 kg each, the gravitational force between them is numerically equal to: 26.What happens to the value of 'g' inside a hollow sphere? 27.The weight of a body is highest at the: 28.Why are satellites able to stay in orbit without falling down to Earth? 29.An object of mass 'm' is dropped from a height 'h'. Its potential energy at height 'h' is 'P'. Its kinetic energy just before hitting the ground is: 30.The law of gravitation explains: