Acceleration due to gravity: Difference between revisions
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where ''G'' is the universal gravitational constant, ''G'' = 6.67428 | where ''G'' is the universal gravitational constant,<ref> Source: [http://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?bg|search_for=Gravitational CODATA 2006, retrieved 2/24/08 from NIST website]</ref> ''G'' = 6.67428 | ||
× 10<sup>−11</sup> | × 10<sup>−11</sup> | ||
m<sup>3</sup> kg<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−2</sup>, | m<sup>3</sup> kg<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−2</sup>, | ||
Revision as of 14:12, 25 March 2008
An object with mass m near the surface of the Earth experiences a downward gravitational force of magnitude mg, where g is the acceleration due to gravity. The quantity g has the dimension of acceleration, m s−2, hence its name.
Newton's gravitational law gives the following formula for g,
where G is the universal gravitational constant,[1] G = 6.67428 × 10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2, ME is the total mass of the Earth, and RE is the radius of the Earth. This equation gives a good approximation, but is not exact. Deviations are caused by the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, non-sphericity of the Earth, and the non-homogeneity of the composition of the Earth. These effects cause g to vary roughly ± 0.01 around the value 9.8 m s−2 from place to place on the surface of the Earth. The quantity g is therefore referred to as the local gravitational acceleration.
The 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, CGPM) defined in 1901 a standard value denoted as gn.[2] [3] The value of the standard acceleration due to gravity gn is 9.80656 m s−2.
References
- ↑ Source: CODATA 2006, retrieved 2/24/08 from NIST website
- ↑ The International System of Units (SI), NIST Special Publication 330, 2001 Edition (pdf page 29 of 77 pdf pages)
- ↑ Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (pdf page 51 of 88 pdf pages)