ASTR 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Tidal Acceleration, Tidal Locking, Escape Velocity

• School: UCSC
• Department: Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Course: ASTR 3
• Professor: Fortney

Document Summary

Newton"s law of gravitation: f = g x m1 x m2 / d2, mass of one body times mass of another divided by the distance between them. Conversation of energy (potential + kinetic + radiative) Force of gravity depends on the point. Moon"s gravity pulls harder on near side of earth than on far side. Difference in moon"s gravitational pull stretches earth. Tidal friction: tidal friction gradually slows earth"s rotation (and makes the moon get farther from. Earth: the moon once orbited faster (or slower); tidal friction caused it to lock" in synchronous rotation. Why do all objects fall at the same rate: the gravitational acceleration of an object does not depend on its mass. !1: f = mass x acceleration (has nothing to do with gravity) How do gravity and energy together allow us to understand orbits: change in total energy is needed to change orbit, add enough energy (escape velocity) and object leaves.