Gravitational Field Strength
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Gravitational Field Strength is the force on an object per kilogram in a gravitational field.
About Gravitational Field Strength
- On Earth gravitational field strength is roughly 10 Newtons for each kilogram of mass (10N/kg).
- Different objects have different gravitational field strengths.
Examples
| The Sun | Mercury | Venus | Earth | The Moon |
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| 300N/kg | 4N/kg | 9N/kg | 10N/kg | 2N/kg |
| Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune |
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| 4N/kg | 20N/kg | 10N/kg | 9N/kg | 10N/kg |
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Gravitational Field Strength is the force on an object per kilogram in a gravitational field.
About Gravitational Field Strength
- At sea level on Earth the gravitational field strength is 9.8 Newtons for each kilogram of mass (9.8N/kg).
Gravitational Field Strength depends on:
- The mass of the moon, planet or star - The larger the mass the greater the gravitational field strength.
- Distance from the centre of mass of the moon, planet or star - The larger the distance the smaller the gravitational field strength.
| The Sun | Mercury | Venus | Earth | The Moon |
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| 290N/kg | 3.7N/kg | 8.8N/kg | 9.8N/kg | 1.7N/kg |
| Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune |
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| 3.7N/kg | 24N/kg | 11N/kg | 9.0N/kg | 12N/kg |