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.

1 simulation entries

Simulation: Gravitational Field Mapper

Place one or two masses, move a probe point, and inspect field vectors, potential, and local escape speed from the same geometry.

Appears in: 17.1 Newton's Law of Gravitation and Gravitational Field Strength, 17.2 Kepler's Laws and Orbital Motion from Newtonian Mechanics, 17.3 Gravitational Potential and Potential Energy, 17.4 Total Energy, Escape Speed, and Orbital Decay

Gravitation + Orbit Lab

|g| at probe

3.37e-3 N/kg

Field direction

-168.0 degrees

Potential at probe

-1.33e+6 J/kg

Escape speed at probe

1.634 km/s

Vector field map (arrows point in the direction of acceleration of a 1 kg test mass)

PrimarySecondaryProbeStronger field near masses and weaker field far away reveal the inverse-square structure.