Discovery and application of the law of universal gravitation astronomy. The history of the discovery of the law of universal gravitation - description, features and interesting facts

THE MEANING OF THE LAW OF GRAVITY

Law universal gravity underlies celestial mechanics- science of planetary motion.

Using this law, the positions of celestial bodies on the planet are determined with great accuracy. firmament many decades in advance and their trajectories are calculated.

The law of universal gravitation is also used in motion calculations artificial satellites Earth and interplanetary automatic vehicles.

Disturbances in the motion of planets

Planets do not move strictly according to Kepler's laws. Kepler's laws would be strictly observed for the motion of a given planet only in the case when this one planet revolved around the Sun. But there are many planets in the Solar System, they are all attracted both by the Sun and by each other. Therefore, disturbances in the motion of the planets arise. In the Solar System, disturbances are small because the attraction of a planet by the Sun is much stronger than the attraction of other planets.

When calculating the apparent positions of the planets, disturbances must be taken into account. When launching artificial celestial bodies and when calculating their trajectories, an approximate theory of the motion of celestial bodies is used - perturbation theory.

Discovery of Neptune

One of bright examples The triumph of the law of universal gravitation is the discovery of the planet Neptune. In 1781, the English astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

Its orbit was calculated and a table of the positions of this planet was compiled for many years to come. However, a check of this table, carried out in 1840, showed that its data diverges from reality.

Scientists have suggested that the deviation in the movement of Uranus is caused by the attraction of an unknown planet located even further from the Sun than Uranus. Knowing the deviations from the calculated trajectory (disturbances in the movement of Uranus), the Englishman Adams and the Frenchman Leverrier, using the law of universal gravitation, calculated the position of this planet in the sky.

Adams finished his calculations early, but the observers to whom he reported his results were in no hurry to check. Meanwhile, Leverrier, having completed his calculations, pointed out to the German astronomer Halle the place where to look for the unknown planet.

Both discoveries are said to have been made "at the tip of a pen."

The correctness of the law of universal gravitation discovered by Newton is confirmed by the fact that with the help of this law and Newton’s second law one can derive Kepler’s laws. We will not present this conclusion.

Using the law of universal gravitation, you can calculate the mass of planets and their satellites; explain phenomena such as the ebb and flow of water in the oceans, and much more.

The law of universal gravitation underlies celestial mechanics - the science of planetary motion. With the help of this law, the positions of celestial bodies in the firmament for many decades in advance are determined with great accuracy and their trajectories are calculated. The law of universal gravitation is also used in calculating the motion of artificial Earth satellites and interplanetary automatic vehicles.
Disturbances in the motion of planets
Planets do not move strictly according to Kepler's laws. Kepler's laws would be strictly observed for the motion of a given planet only in the case when this one planet revolved around the Sun. But there are many planets in the Solar System, they are all attracted both by the Sun and by each other. Therefore, disturbances in the motion of the planets arise. In the Solar System, disturbances are small because the attraction of a planet by the Sun is much stronger than the attraction of other planets.
When calculating the apparent positions of the planets, disturbances must be taken into account. When launching artificial celestial bodies and when calculating their trajectories, an approximate theory of the motion of celestial bodies is used - perturbation theory.
Discovery of Neptune
One of the striking examples of the triumph of the law of universal gravitation is the discovery of the planet Neptune. In 1781, the English astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. Its orbit was calculated and a table of the positions of this planet was compiled for many years to come. However, a check of this table, carried out in 1840, showed that its data diverges from reality.
Scientists have suggested that the deviation in the movement of Uranus is caused by the attraction of an unknown planet located even further from the Sun than Uranus. Knowing the deviations from the calculated trajectory (disturbances in the movement of Uranus), the Englishman Adams and the Frenchman Leverrier, using the law of universal gravitation, calculated the position of this planet in the sky.
Adams finished his calculations early, but the observers to whom he communicated his results were in no hurry to check. Meanwhile, Leverrier, having completed his calculations, indicated to the German astronomer Halle the place where to look unknown planet. On the very first evening, September 28, 1846, Halle, pointing the telescope at specified place, discovered new planet. She was named Neptune.
In the same way, the planet Pluto was discovered on March 14, 1930. Both discoveries are said to have been made "at the tip of a pen."
In § 3.2 we said that Newton discovered the law of universal gravitation using the laws of planetary motion - Kepler's laws. The correctness of the law of universal gravitation discovered by Newton is confirmed by the fact that with the help of this law and Newton’s second law one can derive Kepler’s laws. We will not present this conclusion.
Using the law of universal gravitation, you can calculate the mass of planets and their satellites; explain phenomena such as the ebb and flow of water in the oceans, and much more.
There is no gravitational “shadow”
The forces of universal gravity are the most universal of all the forces of nature. They act between any bodies that have mass, and all bodies have mass. There are no barriers to the forces of gravity. They act through any body. Screens made of special substances impenetrable to gravity (like “kevorite” from H. Wells’s novel “The First Men on the Moon”) can only exist in the imagination of the authors of science fiction books.
The rapid development of mechanics began after the discovery of the law of universal gravitation. It became clear that the same laws apply on Earth and in outer space.

More on the topic § 3.4. MEANING OF THE LAW OF GRAVITY:

1. § 22. Laws of thinking as supposed natural laws, which in their isolated action ARE the cause 15 of rational thinking

Lesson developments (lesson notes)

Average general education

Line UMK B. A. Vorontsov-Velyaminov. Astronomy (10-11)

Attention! The site administration is not responsible for the content methodological developments, as well as for compliance with the development of the Federal State Educational Standard.

Purpose of the lesson

Reveal empirical and theoretical foundations laws of celestial mechanics, their manifestations in astronomical phenomena and application in practice.

Lesson Objectives

• Check the validity of the law of universal gravitation based on an analysis of the movement of the Moon around the Earth; prove that from Kepler's laws it follows that the Sun imparts to the planet an acceleration inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the Sun; investigate the phenomenon of perturbed motion; apply the law of universal gravitation to determine the masses of celestial bodies; explain the phenomenon of tides as a consequence of the manifestation of the law of universal gravitation during the interaction of the Moon and the Earth.

Types of activities

Construct logical oral statements; put forward hypotheses; perform logical operations - analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization; formulate research goals; draw up a research plan; join the work of the group; implement and adjust the research plan; present the results of the group's work; carry out reflection of cognitive activity.

Key Concepts

The law of universal gravitation, the phenomenon of perturbed motion, the phenomenon of tides, Kepler's refined third law.

№	Stage name	Methodical comment
1	1. Motivation for activity	During the discussion of the issues, the substantive elements of Kepler's laws are emphasized.
2	2. Updating the experience and previous knowledge of students and recording difficulties	The teacher organizes a conversation about the content and limits of applicability of Kepler’s laws and the law of universal gravitation. The discussion takes place based on students' knowledge from the physics course about the law of universal gravitation and its applications to the explanation of physical phenomena.
3	3. Setting a learning task	Using a slide show, the teacher organizes a conversation about the need to prove the validity of the law of universal gravitation, study the perturbed motion of celestial bodies, find a way to determine the masses of celestial bodies and study the phenomenon of tides. The teacher accompanies the process of dividing students into problem groups solving one of the astronomical problems, and initiates a discussion of the goals of the groups.
4	4. Making a plan to overcome difficulties	Students in groups, based on their goal, formulate questions to which they want answers and draw up a plan to achieve their goal. The teacher, together with the group, adjusts each of the activity plans.
5	5.1 Implementation of the selected activity plan and implementation independent work	A portrait of I. Newton is presented on the screen as students perform independent group activities. Students implement the plan using the contents of the textbook § 14.1 - 14.5. The teacher corrects and directs the work in groups, supporting the activities of each student.
6	5.2 Implementation of the selected activity plan and independent work	The teacher organizes the presentation of the results of the work by the students of Group 1, based on the tasks presented on the screen. The rest of the students take notes on the main ideas expressed by the group members. After presenting the data, the teacher focuses on the adjustments to the plan that the participants made during its implementation and asks them to formulate the concepts that the students first encountered during the work process.
7	5.3 Implementation of the selected activity plan and independent work	The teacher organizes the presentation of the results of the work by the students of Group 2. The rest of the students take notes on the main ideas expressed by the group members. After presenting the data, the teacher focuses on the adjustments to the plan that the participants made during its implementation and asks them to formulate the concepts that the students first encountered during the work process.
8	5.4 Implementation of the selected activity plan and independent work	The teacher organizes the presentation of the results of the work by the students of Group 3. The rest of the students take notes on the main ideas expressed by the group members. After presenting the data, the teacher focuses on the corrections to the plan that the participants made during its implementation and asks them to formulate the concepts that the students first encountered during the work process.
9	5.5 Implementation of the selected activity plan and independent work	The teacher organizes the presentation of the results of the work by the students of Group 4. The rest of the students take notes on the main ideas expressed by the group members. After presenting the data, the teacher focuses on the corrections to the plan that the participants made during its implementation and asks them to formulate the concepts that the students first encountered during the work process.
10	5.6 Implementation of the selected activity plan and independent work	The teacher, using animation, discusses the dynamics of the occurrence of tide on a certain part of the Earth's surface, emphasizing the influence of not only the Moon, but also the Sun.
11	6. Reflection of activity	During the discussion of answers to reflective questions, it is necessary to focus on the methodology for completing tasks in groups, adjusting the activity plan during its implementation, and the practical significance of the results obtained.
12	7. Homework

DISCOVERY AND APPLICATION OF THE LAW OF GRAVITY Grade 10-11
UMK B.A.Vorontsov-Velyaminov
Razumov Viktor Nikolaevich,
teacher at Municipal Educational Institution "Bolsheelkhovskaya Secondary School"
Lyambirsky municipal district Republic of Mordovia

Law of Gravity

Law of Gravity
All bodies in the Universe are attracted to each other
with a force directly proportional to the product of them
mass and inversely proportional to the square
distances between them.
Isaac Newton (1643–1727)
where t1 and t2 are the masses of bodies;
r – distance between bodies;
G – gravitational constant
The discovery of the law of universal gravitation was greatly facilitated by
Kepler's laws of planetary motion
and other achievements of astronomy of the 17th century.

Knowing the distance to the Moon allowed Isaac Newton to prove
the identity of the force holding the Moon as it moves around the Earth, and
force that causes bodies to fall to Earth.
Since gravity varies inversely with the square of the distance,
as follows from the law of universal gravitation, then the Moon,
located from the Earth at a distance of approximately 60 radii,
should experience an acceleration 3600 times less,
than the acceleration of gravity on the Earth's surface, equal to 9.8 m/s.
Therefore, the acceleration of the Moon should be 0.0027 m/s2.

At the same time, the Moon, like any body, is uniformly
moving in a circle has acceleration
where ω is its angular velocity, r is the radius of its orbit.
Isaac Newton (1643–1727)
If we assume that the radius of the Earth is 6400 km,
then the radius of the lunar orbit will be
r = 60 6 400 000 m = 3.84 10 m.
The sidereal period of revolution of the Moon is T = 27.32 days,
in seconds is 2.36 10 s.
Then the acceleration orbital movement Moon
The equality of these two acceleration values ​​proves that the force holding
The moon is in orbit, there is a force of gravity weakened by 3600 times
compared to that on the Earth's surface.

When the planets move, in accordance with the third
Kepler's law, their acceleration and acting on
them the force of attraction of the Sun back
proportional to the square of the distance, like this
follows from the law of universal gravitation.
Indeed, according to Kepler's third law
ratio of cubes of semimajor axes of orbits d and squares
revolution periods T is a constant value:
Isaac Newton (1643–1727)
The acceleration of the planet is
From Kepler's third law it follows
therefore the acceleration of the planet is equal
So, the force of interaction between the planets and the Sun satisfies the law of universal gravitation.

Disturbances in the movements of solar system bodies

Planetary movement solar system does not strictly obey the laws
Kepler because of their interaction not only with the Sun, but also with each other.
Deviations of bodies from moving along ellipses are called perturbations.
The disturbances are small, since the mass of the Sun is much greater than the mass of not only
individual planet, but also all planets as a whole.
The deviations of asteroids and comets during their passage are especially noticeable
near Jupiter, whose mass is 300 times the mass of the Earth.

In the 19th century Calculation of disturbances made it possible to discover the planet Neptune.
William Herschel
John Adams
Urbain Le Verrier
William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.
Even taking into account the indignation on the part of everyone
known planets observed motion
Uranus did not agree with the calculated one.
Based on the assumption that there are still
one "suburanium" planet John Adams in
England and Urbain Le Verrier in France
made calculations independently of each other
its orbit and position in the sky.
Based on calculations by Le Verrier German
astronomer Johann Halle September 23, 1846
discovered an unknown in the constellation Aquarius
formerly the planet Neptune.
According to the disturbances of Uranus and Neptune there was
predicted and discovered in 1930
dwarf planet Pluto.
The discovery of Neptune was a triumph
heliocentric system,
the most important confirmation of justice
law of universal gravitation.
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Johann Halle

One of the striking examples of the triumph of the law of universal gravitation is the discovery of the planet Neptune. In 1781, the English astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. Its orbit was calculated and a table of the positions of this planet was compiled for many years to come. However, a check of this table, carried out in 1840, showed that its data diverges from reality.

Scientists have suggested that the deviation in the movement of Uranus is caused by the attraction of an unknown planet located even further from the Sun than Uranus. Knowing the deviations from the calculated trajectory (disturbances in the movement of Uranus), the Englishman Adams and the Frenchman Leverrier, using the law of universal gravitation, calculated the position of this planet in the sky. Adams finished his calculations early, but the observers to whom he communicated his results were in no hurry to check. Meanwhile, Leverrier, having completed his calculations, indicated to the German astronomer Halle the place where to look for the unknown planet. On the very first evening, September 28, 1846, Halle, pointing the telescope at the indicated location, discovered a new planet. She was named Neptune.

In the same way, the planet Pluto was discovered on March 14, 1930. The discovery of Neptune, made, as Engels put it, “at the tip of a pen,” is the most convincing proof of the validity of Newton’s law of universal gravitation.

Using the law of universal gravitation, you can calculate the mass of planets and their satellites; explain phenomena such as the ebb and flow of water in the oceans, and much more.

The forces of universal gravity are the most universal of all the forces of nature. They act between any bodies that have mass, and all bodies have mass. There are no barriers to the forces of gravity. They act through any body.

Determination of the mass of celestial bodies

Newton's law of universal gravitation allows us to measure one of the most important physical characteristics of a celestial body - its mass.

The mass of a celestial body can be determined:

a) from measurements of gravity on the surface of a given body (gravimetric method);

b) according to Kepler’s third (refined) law;

c) from the analysis of observed disturbances produced celestial body in the movements of other celestial bodies.

The first method is applicable only to Earth for now, and is as follows.

Based on the law of gravitation, the acceleration of gravity on the Earth's surface is easily found from formula (1.3.2).

The acceleration of gravity g (more precisely, the acceleration of the component of gravity due only to the force of gravity), as well as the radius of the Earth R, is determined from direct measurements on the Earth's surface. The gravitational constant G was determined quite accurately from the experiments of Cavendish and Jolly, well known in physics.

With the currently accepted values ​​of g, R and G, formula (1.3.2) yields the mass of the Earth. Knowing the mass of the Earth and its volume, it is easy to find the average density of the Earth. It is equal to 5.52 g/cm3

The third, refined Kepler's law allows us to determine the relationship between the mass of the Sun and the mass of the planet if the latter has at least one satellite and its distance from the planet and the period of revolution around it are known.

Indeed, the motion of a satellite around a planet is subject to the same laws as the motion of a planet around the Sun and, therefore, Kepler’s third equation can be written in this case as follows:

where M is the mass of the Sun, kg;

t - mass of the planet, kg;

m c - satellite mass, kg;

T is the period of revolution of the planet around the Sun, s;

t c is the period of revolution of the satellite around the planet, s;

a - distance of the planet from the Sun, m;

a c is the distance of the satellite from the planet, m;

Dividing the numerator and denominator of the left-hand side of the fraction of this equation pa t and solving it for masses, we get

The ratio for all planets is very high; the ratio, on the contrary, is small (except for the Earth and its satellite the Moon) and can be neglected. Then in equation (2.2.2) there will only be one unknown relation left, which can be easily determined from it. For example, for Jupiter the inverse ratio determined in this way is 1: 1050.

Since the mass of the Moon, the only satellite of the Earth, is quite large compared to the mass of the Earth, the ratio in equation (2.2.2) cannot be neglected. Therefore, to compare the mass of the Sun with the mass of the Earth, it is necessary to first determine the mass of the Moon. Accurately determining the mass of the Moon is a rather difficult task, and it is solved by analyzing those disturbances in the Earth's motion that are caused by the Moon.

Under the influence of lunar gravity, the Earth must describe an ellipse around the common center of mass of the Earth-Moon system within a month.

By accurately determining the apparent positions of the Sun in its longitude, changes with a monthly period, called “lunar inequality,” were discovered. The presence of a “lunar inequality” in the apparent motion of the Sun indicates that the center of the Earth actually describes a small ellipse during the month around the common center of mass “Earth-Moon”, located inside the Earth, at a distance of 4650 km from the center of the Earth. This made it possible to determine the ratio of the mass of the Moon to the mass of the Earth, which turned out to be equal. The position of the center of mass of the Earth-Moon system was also found from observations of the small planet Eros in 1930-1931. These observations gave a value for the ratio of the masses of the Moon and the Earth. Finally, based on disturbances in the movements of artificial Earth satellites, the ratio of the masses of the Moon and the Earth turned out to be equal. The latter value is the most accurate, and in 1964 the International Astronomical Union accepted it as the final value among other astronomical constants. This value was confirmed in 1966 by calculating the mass of the Moon from the rotation parameters of its artificial satellites.

With the known ratio of the masses of the Moon and the Earth from equation (2.26), it turns out that the mass of the Sun is M ? 333,000 times the mass of the Earth, i.e.

Mz = 2 10 33 g.

Knowing the mass of the Sun and the ratio of this mass to the mass of any other planet that has a satellite, it is easy to determine the mass of this planet.

The masses of planets that do not have satellites (Mercury, Venus, Pluto) are determined from an analysis of the disturbances that they produce in the movement of other planets or comets. So, for example, the masses of Venus and Mercury are determined by the disturbances that they cause in the movement of the Earth, Mars, some small planets (asteroids) and the comet Encke-Backlund, as well as by the disturbances they produce on each other.

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