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11th grade Newton's law of universal gravitation worksheet

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Newton's law of universal gravitation

Grade 11 Science Worksheet

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Earth's mass is 5.9722 × 10²⁴ kg and its radius is 6371 km. With G = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg², what is g at its surface, to the nearest hundredth, Ari?

  2. The Moon's mass is 7.346 × 10²² kg and its radius is 1737.4 km. With G = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg², what is g at its surface, to the nearest hundredth, Esme?

  3. Read this first

    Pull of a planet on a 100 kg probe (example data)

    Distance from center (planet radii)Pull (N)
    1900
    2225
    3100
    4?

  4. Using the table, what pull should the probe feel at 4 planet radii, Jun?

    • 56.25 N
    • 225 N
    • 75 N

  5. Using the table, how does the pull change from 1 to 3 planet radii, Kira?

    • It drops to one-third
    • It drops to one-ninth
    • It drops by 3 N

  6. Using the table, what is the planet's g at its surface, Luz?

    • 90 N/kg
    • 900 N/kg
    • 9 N/kg

  7. A model satellite's path is 400 km above Earth's surface, and Earth's radius is 6371 km. What distance r goes into the gravity formula, Milo?

    • 6771 km
    • 5971 km
    • 400 km, the height

  8. A probe is 6371 km above Earth's surface, and Earth's radius is 6371 km. How does Earth's pull on it compare with the pull at the surface, Noah?

    • Zero, since it is in space
    • One-quarter as strong
    • Half as strong

  9. Why is r measured between the centers of the two bodies, Pia?

    • Gravity starts at the surface
    • A round body pulls as if its mass were at its center
    • Surfaces are too hard to measure

  10. NASA gives Mars a surface gravity of 3.73 m/s². What does a 2 kg box weigh there, Ren?

    • 2 N, the same as its mass
    • 0.54 N
    • 7.46 N

  11. The Moon's surface gravity is 1.62 m/s² and Earth's is 9.82 m/s². About what fraction of its Earth weight does a box have on the Moon, Tala?

    • About one-sixth
    • About half
    • The same
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11th grade Newton's law of universal gravitation worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Newton's law of universal gravitation. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can use the inverse square. Twice the distance gives one-quarter of the pull, 3 times gives one-ninth, and 10 times gives one-hundredth. Each mass counts once.
  • I can measure r from center to center (radius + height) and find g = GM ÷ r² for Earth, Mars and the Moon from NASA data, with r in meters.
  • I can find g above Earth's surface, and I know g is still about 8.7 N/kg at 400 km.
  • I can explain that the two pulls are always equal and opposite, that weight changes between worlds while mass does not, and why G's tiny size makes everyday pulls unnoticeable.

Standard: HS-PS2-4

Words to know

universal gravitation: Every pair of masses attracts with F = Gm₁m₂ ÷ r²

G: The gravitational constant, 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²

inverse square: The force falls as 1 ÷ distance²

center to center: The distance r between the middles of the two bodies

gravitational field strength (g): The pull on each kilogram, in N/kg, equal to m/s²

Common mistakes

Your child divided by the distance factor instead of its square. Gravity falls with distance squared: twice as far, one-quarter the pull.

Your child put the radius in kilometers. G uses meters, so change kilometers to meters first.

Your child did not square the radius. Surface gravity is GM ÷ r².

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with newton's law of universal gravitation?

Your child divided by the distance factor instead of its square. Gravity falls with distance squared: twice as far, one-quarter the pull.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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