Dashboard/Learning Hub/Physics HL/Chapter 17

Physics HL

Chapter 17: Gravitation

Develop full gravitation fluency from Newton's inverse-square force law and field mapping to Kepler-style orbit reasoning, potential-energy methods, escape-speed analysis, and orbital decay under drag.

Estimated chapter time: 190 minutes

Chapter Topics

Jump directly to any section or subsection.

  1. 1How to Read This Gravitation Chapter
    1. 1.1Why Gravitation Is More Than a Falling-Object Topic
    2. 1.2Learning Targets
    3. 1.3How to Work This Chapter Efficiently
  2. 217.1 Newton's Law of Gravitation and Gravitational Field Strength
    1. 2.1Inverse-Square Force Law and Scaling Consequences
    2. 2.2Field Strength as Force Per Unit Mass
    3. 2.3Radial Fields, Uniform Approximations, and Superposition
  3. 317.2 Kepler's Laws and Orbital Motion from Newtonian Mechanics
    1. 3.1Kepler's Three Laws as Orbit-Structure Rules
    2. 3.2Circular-Orbit Speed and Period Relations
    3. 3.3Area Sweep Rate and Angular Momentum
  4. 417.3 Gravitational Potential and Potential Energy
    1. 4.1Why Gravitational Potential Energy Is Negative
    2. 4.2Gravitational Potential and Work Calculations
    3. 4.3Equipotential Surfaces and Field Gradient
  5. 517.4 Total Energy, Escape Speed, and Orbital Decay
    1. 5.1Total Energy as a Trajectory Classifier
    2. 5.2Deriving Escape Speed from Any Radius
    3. 5.3Atmospheric Drag, Inward Spiral, and Speed Increase
  6. 6Chapter 17 Wrap-Up
    1. 6.1Fast Exam Workflow for Gravitation Problems

Previous

Chapter 16 Wrap-Up

Next

How to Read This Gravitation Chapter