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GRAVITATION 1. Choose the wrong statement a) weight of a body is greater at the poles and less at equator b) weight of the body is greater in planes and less on hill tops c) weight of a body on the moon is less than that on the earth and is more on sun d) none of the above. 2. Which of the following is the evidence to show that there must be a force acting on earth and directed towards the sun ? a) deviation of the falling bodies towards east b) revolution of the earth round the sun c) phenomenon of day and night d) apparent motion of sun round the earth. 3. If the radius of earth were to shrink by one percent, its mass remaining the same, the acceleration due to gravity on the earth's surface would a) decrease b) remains unchanged c) increase d) decrease by 2% 4. In planetary motion a) the angular speed remains constant b) the total angular momentum remains constant c) the linear speed remains constant d) neither the angular momentum nor angular speed remains constant. 5. Newton's law of gravitation is universal because a) it is always attractive b) it acts on all heavenly bodies and particles c) it acts on all the masses at all the distances and is not affected by the medium d) none of the above 6. Consider the earth to be a homogeneous sphere. Scientist A goes deep down in a mine and scientist B goes high up in a balloon. The gravitational field measured by a) A goes on decreasing and that by B goes on increasing b) B goes on decreasing and that by A goes on increasing. c) each remains unchanged. d) each goes on decreasing. 7. The tidal waves in the sea are primarily due to a) the atmospheric effect of the earth b) the gravitational effect of venus on the earth. c) the gravitational effect of the sun on the earth d) the gravitational effect of the moon on the earth. 8. If a satellite is orbiting the earth very close to its surface, then the orbital velocity does not depend on a) the mass of the satellite b) the mass of earth c) the orbital radius d) only of the above 9. There is no atmosphere on the moon because a) it is closer to the earth b) it revolves round the earth c) it gets light from the sun d) the escape velocity of gas molecules is lesser than their root mean square velocity 10. A missile is launched with a velocity less than the escape velocity. The sum of its kinetic and potential energy is a) positive b) negative c) zero d) may be positive or negative depending upon its initial velocity

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11. If the earth is at one fourth of its present distance from the sun, the duration of the year will be a) half the present year b) one-eight the present year c) one fourth the present year d) one sixth the present year 12. The planet mercury is revolving in an elliptical orbit around the sun as shown in figure. The kinetic energy of mercury will be greatest at a) A c) C b) B d) D

13. An instrument is released from an artificial earth-satellite by simply detaching it from the outer wall of the satellite. The package a) b) c) d) will shoot forward in the same orbit with double the velocity of the satellite. will go to the outer space and will get lost will fall to the earth below will continue moving along with the satellite into the same orbit and with the same velocity.

14. The escape velocity from a planet of mass M and radius R is given by

a)

2G M R

b)

GM R

c)

2MR G

d) 2

R GM

15. An earth satellite of mass m revolves in a circular orbit at a height h from the surface of the earth. R is the radius of the earth and g is acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the earth. The velocity of the satellite in the orbit is given by

g R2 a) R+h
a) 4T

b) g R

c)

gR R+h

d)

FG g R IJ H R + hK
2

16. The time period of a satellite in a circular orbit of radius R is T, the period of another satellite in a circular orbit of radius 4R is b) T/4 c) 8T d) T/8.

17. A body starts from rest from a point at a distance R0 from the centre of the earth. The velocity acquired by the body when it reaches the surface of the earth will be ( R represents radius of the earth ). a) 2 G M

FG 1 1 IJ HR R K
0

b)

2G M

FG 1 1 IJ HR R K
0

c)

GM

FG 1 1 IJ HR R K
0

d) 2 G M

FG 1 1 IJ HR R K
0

18. A planet moves around the sun. At a point P, it is closest from the sun at a distance d1 and has a speed v1. At another point Q, when it is farthest from the sun at a distance d2 , its sped will be
2 a) d12 v1 / d 2

b)

d 2 v1 / d1

c)

d1 v1 / d 2

2 d) d 2 v1 / d12

19. If g be the acceleration due to gravity at the earth's surface, the gain in the potential energy of an object of mass m raised from the surface of the earth to a height equal to the radius R of the earth is a) ( 1/2 ) mg R b) 2mg R c) mg R d) ( 1/4 ) mg R

20. If the change in the value of g at the height h above the surface of the earth is the same as at a depth x below it, then ( both x and h being much smaller than the radius of the earth ) a) x = h b) x = 2h c) x = h/2 d) x = h2 21. The ratio of the radius of a planet X to that of planet Y is r. The ratio of acceleration due to gravity on the planets is a. The ratio of the escape velocity from the two planets is a) a r b)

r/a

c)

ra

d)

a/r

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22. Two planets or radii r1 and r2 are made from the same material. The ratio of the acceleration of gravity g1 / g2 at the surfaces of the two planets is a) r1 / r2 b) r2 / r1 c)

(r1 / r2 ) 2

d) ( r2 / r1 ) 2

23. A spherical planet far out in space has a mass M0 and diameter D0. A particle of mass m falling freely near the surface of this planet will experience an acceleration due to gravity which is equal to a) G M / D 2 0 0
2 b) 4m G M 0 / D0

c)

4 G M 0 / D02

2 d) G m M 0 / D0

24. The figure shows the motion of a planet around the sun in an elliptical orbit with sun at the focus. The shaded areas can be assumed to be equal.If t1 and t2 represent the time taken for the planet to move from A to B and C to D respectively, then a) t1 < t 2 c) t1 = t 2 b) t1 > t 2 d) none of these

25. In a gravitational field, a body at a given position has a) binding energy which increase as its speed increases c) zero binding energy when it is at rest

b) binding energy which is independent of its speed d) maximum binding energy when it is at rest

26. Two satellites A and B, the ratio of whose masses is 3 : 1 are in the circular orbits of radii r and 4r, then the ratio of total mechanical energy of A to that of B is a) 1/3 b) 3 c) 3/4 d) 12 27. Assuming that the earth is spherical and of radius R, gravitational acceleration on its surface = g and mass m, then its mean density is

3g a) 4G R

4G R b) 3g

4 2 G c) 3Rg

d)

3gG R 4 2

28. The weight of a body at earth's surface is W. At a depth half way to the centre of the earth it will be ( assuming uniform density in earth ) a) W b) W/2 c) W/4 d) W/8 29. The escape velocity from the earth's surface is 11 km/sec. A certain planet has a radius twice that of the earth but its mean density is the same as that of the earth. The value of the escape velocity from this planet would be : a) 22 km/sec b) 11 km/sec c) 5.5 km/sec d) 16.5 km/sec 30. A planet is moving in an elliptical orbit around the sun. If T, V, E and L stand respectively for its kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, total energy and magnitude of angular momentum about the centre of force, which of the following are correct ? a) T is conserved b) V is always positive c) E is always negative d) L is conserved but direction of vector L changes continuously

Answers 1. 7. 13. 19. 25. d d d a d 2. 8. 14. 20. 26. b a a b d 3. 9. 15. 21. 27. c d d c a 4. 10. 16. 22. 28. b b c a b 5. 11. 17. 23. 29. c b b c a 6. 12. 18. 24. 30. d a c c c