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Acceleration is always a vector, having both magnitude and direction, and the acceleration due to gravity is no exception.

Newton's law of gravitation gives the magnitude |F| of the instantaneous force vector F due to a particle of mass M on a particle of mass m as

|F| = GMm/r2,

where r is the separation and G is Newton's gravitational constant. The direction of the force is along the line connecting the two bodies, and it is attractive. By Newton's second law, m's acceleration vector g is given by

g = F/m,

which is in the same direction as the force and has magnitude |g| = GM/r2.

Note the following features of the above formulae. First, the force on M due to m is equal and opposite to the force on m due to M, as required by Newton's third law. Second, g is independent of m, i.e. all test particles in a gravitational field fall with the same acceleration, regardless of their masses, an observation of deep significance in General Relativity.

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Is acceleration of gravity a vector?

Gravity creates a scalar and vector acceleration. The gravitational potential energy isEs= GmM/r= - mu/r.The derivative of the energy is the forceXE= F= (d/dr + Del) (-mu/r) = -m(d(u/r)/dr + Del u/r) = mu(/r^2 + R/r^3)The scalar acceleration is as=u/r^2 the vector acceleration is Av= uR/r^3.Thus the acceleration due to the gravitational potential energy produces a scalar and vector acceleration. This is the result of the quaternion nature of Nature. The Four dimensional universe consists of a scalar and a vector part, including the scalar and vector derivative X=d/dr + Del.


Why weight is a scalar?

Weight is a scalar because it only has a magnitude (amount) and no specific direction. It is a measure of the force of gravity acting on an object, defined as the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. Since it only requires a magnitude to describe it, weight is considered a scalar quantity.


What is the direction of the acceleration vector of a person on spinning earth?

The acceleration vector of a person on spinning Earth points towards the center of Earth due to gravity. Additionally, this acceleration vector is perpendicular to the direction of the person's velocity as they move along Earth's surface.


If after an object is thrown no other fone and ads on it except gravity What are the vertical and horizontal components of its acceleration vector?

The vertical component of the acceleration vector is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2 downward). The horizontal component of the acceleration vector is zero since there is no acceleration acting in the horizontal direction (assuming no external forces).


Why is weight a vector quantity?

Weight is defined as a product of mass nd acceleration due to gravity. It has both magnitude nd weight. Actually acceleration has both magnitude nd direction so is a vector quantity. The product of vector quantity and a scaler quantity gives us vector quantity. As weight is a product of mass nd acceleration due to gravity so its a vector quantity. Moaz khaliq

Related Questions

Is acceleration of gravity a vector?

Gravity creates a scalar and vector acceleration. The gravitational potential energy isEs= GmM/r= - mu/r.The derivative of the energy is the forceXE= F= (d/dr + Del) (-mu/r) = -m(d(u/r)/dr + Del u/r) = mu(/r^2 + R/r^3)The scalar acceleration is as=u/r^2 the vector acceleration is Av= uR/r^3.Thus the acceleration due to the gravitational potential energy produces a scalar and vector acceleration. This is the result of the quaternion nature of Nature. The Four dimensional universe consists of a scalar and a vector part, including the scalar and vector derivative X=d/dr + Del.


Is specific gravity a vector or scalar quantity?

Gravity is a force, and forces have magnitude and direction; hence, it is a vector.


Why weight is a scalar?

Weight is a scalar because it only has a magnitude (amount) and no specific direction. It is a measure of the force of gravity acting on an object, defined as the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. Since it only requires a magnitude to describe it, weight is considered a scalar quantity.


What is the direction of the acceleration vector of a person on spinning earth?

The acceleration vector of a person on spinning Earth points towards the center of Earth due to gravity. Additionally, this acceleration vector is perpendicular to the direction of the person's velocity as they move along Earth's surface.


If after an object is thrown no other fone and ads on it except gravity What are the vertical and horizontal components of its acceleration vector?

The vertical component of the acceleration vector is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2 downward). The horizontal component of the acceleration vector is zero since there is no acceleration acting in the horizontal direction (assuming no external forces).


Why is weight a vector quantity?

Weight is defined as a product of mass nd acceleration due to gravity. It has both magnitude nd weight. Actually acceleration has both magnitude nd direction so is a vector quantity. The product of vector quantity and a scaler quantity gives us vector quantity. As weight is a product of mass nd acceleration due to gravity so its a vector quantity. Moaz khaliq


Is weight is a sc alar or vector quantity?

Weight is a vector quantity. Weight is the mass of a body times the acceleration due to gravity, which is a vector quantity. Weight is in the downward direction.


Is gravity field vector or scalar?

Gravitational field is a vector quantity, as it has both magnitude (strength) and direction. It represents the force experienced by a mass placed in the field due to the presence of another mass.


Is weight an example for a quantity Which has direction but is not a vector?

Weight is not a vector quantity because it lacks direction. Weight is a scalar quantity that only has magnitude. It is the force exerted on an object due to gravity, always directed towards the center of the Earth, but it is not considered a vector because it does not have directionality in the way vectors do.


What letter is used to represent the acceleration due to gravity?

The letter "g" is commonly used to represent the acceleration due to gravity. In physics, this value is typically taken to be approximately 9.81 m/s^2 on the surface of the Earth. The acceleration due to gravity is a vector quantity pointing towards the center of the Earth, and it is responsible for the weight of objects on Earth.


Is weight scalar or vector quantity?

scalar, produced by the scalar product of two vector quantities ... Force · Distance


What is equivalent of acceleration due to gravity?

acceleration due to gravity of earth is 9.8ms-2