Why is gravitational force equal to centripetal force?

Bottom line, if a body is not accelerating (stopped or uniform velocity) the sum of ALL forces acting on it must be zero so that f = ma = 0. And that’s why centripetal force and weight are “equal” in your case.

Is the gravitational force from sun to Earth centripetal or centrifugal?

Because the gravitational attraction of our Sun for the Earth is the centripetal force causing the Earth’s circular motion around the Sun, we can use Newton’s law of universal gravitation to find the mass of the Sun without visiting the Sun.

How we explain gravitational force is centripetal force in solar system?

A force that pulls an object towards the centre of a circle is called centripetal force. The source for the centripetal force in the solar system is the gravitational force of the sun. Without the centripetal force from the sun the planets would travel in a straight line.

How centripetal force keep the planets moving in their orbital path around the sun?

The gravitational pull of the sun on the planet pulls it away from this straight line path and results in the orbital motion. The gravitational force of the sun pulls the planet into a near circular orbit. It pulls them in towards the centre of a circle and is termed a centre seeking or centripetal force.

How does the gravitational force compare to the centripetal force?

Gravity is a mutual force. The force from object A on object B is as same as the force from object B on object A. The gravitational force is measured in Newton. Centripetal force is the force, which keeps the objects in a circular or any curved path.

Is the gravitational force a type of centripetal force?

5 Answers. Simple answer: gravity is a centripetal force, and can be envisaged clearly as such in Newtonian mechanics. Centripetal just means a force that is “radially inwards” (“directed towards the centre”). The electric force between two objects of opposite charges, for example, is also clearly centripetal.

Do planets experience centrifugal force?

There is only centrifugal force in the orbiting frame of the planet. In this frame, the planet is not accelerating, so you a need centrifugal force to balance the centripetal force.

What is the gravitational force between the sun and the earth?

about 3.54×1022 N
The gravitational force between the Sun and the Earth is about 3.54×1022 N. This force keeps the Earth orbiting around the Sun. The gravitational force from the other planets does slightly affect the Earth’s orbit, but the gravitational pull from the other planets and the Moon is still very small.

How does the gravitational force the earth exerts on the sun compare to the gravitational force the Sun exerts on the earth?

Compare the gravitational force the sun exerts on earth to the gravitational force earth exerts on the sun. Both because they both exert a force on each other the difference is the object with the greater mass being earth will exert a greater force.

What holds earth’s gravitational force?

The force of Earth’s gravity is the result of the planets mass and density – 5.97237 × 1024 kg (1.31668×1025 lbs) and 5.514 g/cm3, respectively. This results in Earth having a gravitational strength of 9.8 m/s² close to the surface (also known as 1 g), which naturally decreases the farther away one is from the surface.

How does gravity keep the planets in orbit around the Sun?

The sun’s gravitational force is very strong. The sun’s gravity pulls the planet toward the sun, which changes the straight line of direction into a curve. This keeps the planet moving in an orbit around the sun. Because of the sun’s gravitational pull, all the planets in our solar system orbit around it.