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Reply 2

Original post
by Eimmanuel
Which part of the MS that you don't understand?

Screenshot 2025-01-11 205126.png for the yellow part, I don't get how they are related and for the blue part, I'm not sure how they got from the first line to the next?

Reply 3

Original post
by anonymous56754
Screenshot 2025-01-11 205126.png for the yellow part, I don't get how they are related and for the blue part, I'm not sure how they got from the first line to the next?

For yellow part:
At A level, gravitational field strength is by “definition” taken as g = GM/r2 NOT a constant value because r changes.

Since the object moves through a short distance h near to the surface and g is relatively constant when the object moves through a short distance h.

For the blue part, r1 is the radius of the planet and r2 = r1 + h and apply these info, you can get the result.

Reply 4

Original post
by Eimmanuel
For yellow part:
At A level, gravitational field strength is by “definition” taken as g = GM/r2 NOT a constant value because r changes.
Since the object moves through a short distance h near to the surface and g is relatively constant when the object moves through a short distance h.
For the blue part, r1 is the radius of the planet and r2 = r1 + h and apply these info, you can get the result.

I understand the yellow part now but for the blue part, I substituted r2 = r1 + h into the line above to get GMm(h/r(h+r1)) but I don’t get how this is related to g=GM/r^2? Thanks

Reply 5

Original post
by anonymous56754
I understand the yellow part now but for the blue part, I substituted r2 = r1 + h into the line above to get GMm(h/r(h+r1)) but I don’t get how this is related to g=GM/r^2? Thanks

You should substitute into GMm(r2 r1)/r1r2.

Reply 6


Another way of doing this question is by using binomial approximation.
You need to be careful in using binomial approximation because you need to state and explain where approximation is used.

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