How did Cavendish demonstrate that a gravitational force?

Cavendish demonstrated this using a torsion balance, a horizontally suspended wooden rod with a small lead sphere at each end. When the torsion balance was released and allowed to move freely, the lead balls would be attracted by the gravitational force.

How does Cavendish measure G?

In 1798 Cavendish measured the force between attracting lead spheres with a torsion balance. He knew the masses of the spheres and how far apart they were. He carefully measured the force between them, which allowed him to calculate G.

What was the conclusion of the Cavendish Experiment?

The results of the Cavendish Experiment was the mass density of the earth, yet others were able to derive the actual value of the gravitational constant from the experiments results.

Why does Cavendish use torsion balance?

The answer to this problem came from Henry Cavendish in 1798, when he performed experiments with a torsion balance, measuring the gravitational attraction between relatively small objects in the laboratory. The value he determined for G allowed the mass and density of the Earth to be deter- mined.

What is Cavendish law?

In Newton’s law of universal gravitation, the attractive force between two objects (F) is equal to G times the product of their masses (m1m2) divided by the square of the distance between them (r2); that is, F = Gm1m2/r2. The experiment was performed in 1797–98 by the English scientist Henry Cavendish.

How was G calculated?

G is the universal gravitational constant, G = 6.674 x 10-11 m3 kg-1 s-2. M is the mass of the body measured using kg. R is the mass body radius measured by m. g is the acceleration due to the gravity determined by m / s2.

Why is gravity 9.81 ms 2?

In SI units, G has the value 6.67 × 10-11 Newtons kg-2 m2. The acceleration g=F/m1 due to gravity on the Earth can be calculated by substituting the mass and radii of the Earth into the above equation and hence g= 9.81 m s-2. …

How was g calculated?

What is G and G in physics?

g is the acceleration due to the gravity of any massive body measured in m/s2. G is the universal gravitational constant measured in Nm2/kg2. R is the radius of the massive body measured in km. M is the mass of the massive body measured in Kg.

What is value of G’on moon?

approximately 1.625 m/s2
The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon is approximately 1.625 m/s2, about 16.6% that on Earth’s surface or 0.166 ɡ. Over the entire surface, the variation in gravitational acceleration is about 0.0253 m/s2 (1.6% of the acceleration due to gravity).

How does the Cavendish experiment measure gravitational force?

Cavendish experiment setup. The Cavendish experiment uses a torsion balance to measure the weak gravitational force between lead balls. A torsion balance consists of a bar suspended at its middle by a thin wire or fiber.

What was the value of the Cavendish law?

Cavendish and the Value of G. Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation proposed that the gravitational attraction between any two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

How is a torsion balance used in the Cavendish experiment?

The Cavendish experiment uses a torsion balance to measure the weak gravitational force between lead balls. A torsion balance consists of a bar suspended at its middle by a thin wire or fiber.

What is the equation for the law of universal gravitation?

The equation for universal gravitation thus takes the form: where F is the gravitational force acting between two objects, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, r is the distance between the centers of their masses, and G is the gravitational constant .