Newton's law of universal gravitation strictly applies to perfectly spherical bodies. Many celestial bodies, like the Sun and Earth, are not perfect spheres. This has a measureable effect on the trajectories of orbiting satellites. Restricting attention to equatorial orbits, the gravity law can be corrected in a simple way to account for the Sun's imperfect shape. Fg where G = 6.67 × 10-¹¹ N-m²/kg² is the universal gravitation constant, M = 1.99 × 1030 kg is the mass of the Sun, m is the mass of the orbiting body, R = 6.96 × 105 km is the mean radius of the Sun, and J₂ = 2.91 × 10-6 is the solar quadrupole moment, a dimensionless parameter that characterizes the Sun's slightly aspherical shape. GMm p2 1+ W = 3J2R² 2r² r What is the extra work W done by the correction term in the gravity law when a small comet moves from aphelion to perihelion along an equatorial orbit? The comet's perihelion, or the distance of closest approach to the Sun, is rp = 1.85 AU (astronomical units). The aphelion, or its largest distance from the Sun, is ra = 9.33 AU. The comet's mass is m = 1.42 x 106 kg, and it orbits the Sun once every 13.7 years. See the hint for help with conversion from astronomical units to meters. J
Gravitational force
In nature, every object is attracted by every other object. This phenomenon is called gravity. The force associated with gravity is called gravitational force. The gravitational force is the weakest force that exists in nature. The gravitational force is always attractive.
Acceleration Due to Gravity
In fundamental physics, gravity or gravitational force is the universal attractive force acting between all the matters that exist or exhibit. It is the weakest known force. Therefore no internal changes in an object occurs due to this force. On the other hand, it has control over the trajectories of bodies in the solar system and in the universe due to its vast scope and universal action. The free fall of objects on Earth and the motions of celestial bodies, according to Newton, are both determined by the same force. It was Newton who put forward that the moon is held by a strong attractive force exerted by the Earth which makes it revolve in a straight line. He was sure that this force is similar to the downward force which Earth exerts on all the objects on it.
Any two point masses in the universe attract each other with gravitational force that is proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the distance squared between them.
Here given that,
Universal gravitational constant
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