1) would dropping an object higher than it's usual point change it's acceleration?
2) would throwing an object upward change it's acceleration?
3)does the mass of an object affect it's acceleration?
4) how does altitude affect the value of g? what other factors cause this acceleration to wary at different locations? how much can g vary at a location in the mountains compared to a location at sea level?
1) To determine whether dropping an object from a higher point changes its acceleration, we need to understand the concept of free fall and gravitational acceleration. When an object is in free fall, it falls under the influence of gravity alone, with no other forces acting upon it. The acceleration due to gravity, denoted as "g," is the same for all objects near the surface of the Earth and has a standard value of approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s^2).
The acceleration of an object in free fall is constant and unaffected by the height from which the object is dropped. Regardless of the starting height, the object will experience the same acceleration due to gravity. This means that dropping an object from a higher point will not change its acceleration.
2) When throwing an object upward, its acceleration is still influenced by gravity. In this case, the object is moving against the direction of the gravitational force. As the object moves upward, the acceleration due to gravity decreases its speed until it reaches its maximum height, where its velocity becomes zero. The object then accelerates downwards under the influence of gravity until it reaches its initial position or falls farther.
So, throwing an object upward does not change its acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration remains constant, but its direction changes depending on whether the object is moving upward or downward.
3) The mass of an object does not affect its acceleration due to gravity. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force of gravity acting on an object is proportional to its mass. However, the acceleration experienced by the object is inversely proportional to its mass. Therefore, the mass cancels out, and all objects experience the same acceleration due to gravity, regardless of their mass. This principle is often referred to as the equivalence principle.
4) Altitude does affect the value of acceleration due to gravity (g). As you move farther away from the surface of the Earth, the force of gravity decreases, causing a decrease in acceleration. This is because the gravitational force weakens with increasing distance between the object and the Earth's center. Therefore, g decreases as altitude increases.
Other factors that can cause a variation in the acceleration due to gravity at different locations include the shape and rotation of the Earth, local density variations, and the presence of large landmasses or mountains. Due to such factors, g can slightly vary from place to place at comparable altitudes.
In general, the difference in the value of g between a location in the mountains and a location at sea level is minimal. The increase in altitude up a mountain would result in a small decrease in g; however, this difference is generally negligible for most practical purposes.