A spacecraft of mass 2000 kg is travelling from the surface of a planet to a height of 1000 m above the surface. The graph below shows the gravitational force per unit mass (N/kg) acting on the spacecraft as a function of its height (m) above the surface.
To determine the change in gravitational potential energy of the spacecraft as it travels from the surface to 1000 m, which of the following procedures is most appropriate?
Determine the area under the graph. This area directly represents the change in gravitational potential energy of the spacecraft.
Determine the slope of the graph. Multiply this slope by the mass of the spacecraft to find the change in gravitational potential energy.
Determine the area under the graph, then multiply this area by the mass of the spacecraft to find the change in gravitational potential energy.
Determine the average gravitational force per unit mass between 0 m and 1000 m. Multiply this average value by the distance (1000 m) to find the change in gravitational potential energy.
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Create Free Account Log inThis is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Physics practice question worth 1 mark, testing your understanding of Δ Eg via graphs. It falls under How do things move without contact? in Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity?. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.
In this unit students use Newton’s laws to investigate motion in one and two dimensions. They explore the concept of the field as a model used by physicists to explain observations of motion of objects not in apparent contact. Students compare and contrast three fundamental fields – gravitational, magnetic and electric – and how they relate to one another. They consider the importance of the field to the motion of particles within the field. Students examine the production of electricity and its delivery to homes. They explore fields in relation to the transmission of electricity over large distances and in the design and operation of particle accelerators. A student-designed practical investigation involving the generation of primary data and including one continuous, independent variable related to fields, motion or light is undertaken either in Unit 3 or Unit 4, or across both Units 3 and 4, and is assessed in Unit 4, Outcome 2. The design, analysis and findings of the investigation are presented in a scientific poster format.
In this area of study, students examine the similarities and differences between three fields: gravitational, electric and magnetic. Students explore how positions in fields determine the potential energy of, and the force on, an object. They investigate how concepts related to field models can be applied to construct motors, maintain satellite orbits and to accelerate particles including in a synchrotron.
Analyse the change in gravitational potential energy from area under a force vs distance graph and area under a field vs distance graph multiplied by mass.
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Define how the change in gravitational potential energy can be determined from a force versus distance graph.
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