1. Find the dimensions of the gravitational constant
Answer
[
Hint
Near the Earth's surface, the force of gravity imparts acceleration
2. Calculate the gravitational force between two touching lead spheres (diameter 1 m each). Lead density
Answer
3. A lead sphere (radius
Answer
Hint
The sought force is found as the difference between the forces that would act on the small sphere from the entire lead sphere and from the part that was removed from the sphere.
4. At what distance from Earth's surface is gravitational acceleration
Answer
5. Determine gravitational acceleration
Answer
Solution
The acceleration due to gravity is found from the formulas
6. Prove that gravitational force on a mass
Answer
Hint. Let's show that the gravitational force acting from an arbitrary spherical shell on a material point inside it is zero. For this, let's divide the spherical shell into thin spherical layers. A cone with a small solid angle with its vertex at this point cuts out elements from the layer, and it can be shown that
7. A body falls through a straight shaft drilled along Earth's rotation axis. Find its maximum velocity (ignore air resistance).
Answer
Solution
If the mass of the body falling through the shaft is
The acceleration is maximum at
Hence
8. What direction and horizontal speed must an airplane fly along the equator to compensate for reduced weight due to Earth's rotation?
Answer
In the direction from east to west with a speed
Hint
The aircraft must be stationary in the coordinate system associated with the fixed stars. For this, the angular velocity of the aircraft must be equal to the angular velocity of the Earth and directed in the opposite direction. When flying over the equator
9. Why are space rockets typically launched west-to-east? Why are equatorial launches most advantageous?
Answer
The rotational speed of the Earth is used.
10. At a planet's equator, bodies weigh half as much as at poles. Planet density
Answer
Solution
The weight
11. Find the average density of a planet where spring scales show 10% less weight at the equator than at poles. Day length
Answer
12. How long should an Earth day be for equatorial weightlessness?
Answer
Hint
See problem 10.
13. Derive the dependence of body weight on geographic latitude.
Solution
Two forces act on the weighed body: the force of gravity 
14. Calculate the Sun-Earth mass ratio given: Moon completes 13 orbits/year; average Sun-Earth distance is 390× greater than Moon-Earth distance.
Answer
336,000 times.
Solution
The equations of motion of the Earth around the Sun and the Moon around the Earth will be:
15. Determine the Sun's mass using gravitational constant γ, Earth's orbital period
Answer
Hint
See problem 14.
16. Can a satellite orbit in a plane not passing through Earth's center?
Answer
No. Because in this case, the force of gravity would have a component not lying in the plane of the orbit.
17. A satellite orbits Earth at height
Answer
Solution
Assume that the satellite moves in a circular orbit, the center of which is at the center of the Earth. In this case, the satellite moves with centripetal acceleration
18. Find average angular
Answer
Solution
The radius of the orbit
19. What orbital radius and velocity would give a satellite Earth's rotation period? What trajectory would it appear to have from Earth? What orbital plane would make it appear stationary?
Answer
Hint
See the previous problem. The angular velocity of rotation of the satellite must be equal to the angular velocity
20. What is the first cosmic velocity for a planet with twice Earth's mass and radius?
Answer
Hint
The first cosmic velocity is the speed of a satellite moving in a circular orbit around a planet near its surface. Therefore
21. What is the first cosmic velocity for a planet with Earth's density but half its radius?
Answer
22. A satellite required
Answer
1000 kg.
Solution
Neglecting the change in the potential energy of the satellite, we can write
23. Compare energy costs for: a) lifting a satellite to
Answer
In the first case 1:1, in the second 2:1.
Solution
If the potential energy of a body of mass
24. When would an astronaut experience weightlessness during interplanetary flight?
Answer
The astronaut will be in a state of weightlessness from the moment the spacecraft engines are turned off in outer space.
Solution
Let us consider the forces acting on the spacecraft and on the bodies located within it. The spacecraft and the bodies within it always move with the same acceleration. This acceleration for the spacecraft is determined by the thrust force
25. How would the operation of pendulum clocks ('walkers') and spring (wrist) watches change inside an interplanetary spacecraft?
Answer
Pendulum clocks will stop after the rocket engine is turned off. The movement of the spacecraft will not affect the running of wristwatches.
26. How can body mass be measured under weightlessness conditions?
Answer
Many methods are possible, based on the application of Newton's second and third laws. For example:
- measure the ratio of the velocities acquired by bodies with known and unknown masses after burning the thread compressing a spring between the bodies;
- act on the body with a known force
and measure the acceleration obtained by the body in this case, then ; - measure the tension force of a pre-calibrated spring when rotating the body attached to this spring with a known constant angular velocity, etc.
27. Is it possible to create artificial gravity inside a spaceship?
Answer
Yes, by rotating the spacecraft or turning on the engines.
28. Does the potential energy of objects relative to Earth change when they move inside an orbiting satellite?
Answer
Yes. The force of gravity acts on bodies in a state of weightlessness (see problem 24). The change in potential energy is still given by the formula
29. Do Pascal's and Archimedes' laws remain valid under weightlessness conditions?
Answer
Formally, both laws are applicable, but Archimedes' law loses its meaning, since both the body and the displaced liquid are weightless.
30. How would the linear and angular velocities of a satellite change under conditions of weak atmospheric drag? Assume a circular orbit.
Answer
The linear and angular velocities of the satellite will increase.
Hint
The total energy of the satellite is
31. In which case does a spacecraft experience greater heating due to atmospheric friction: during launch or during re-entry? Explain why.
Answer
When falling to Earth. When launched, its speed in the denser layers of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface is low, while during descent it is high.