Question: If the law of gravitation, instead of being inverse square, law, becomes an inverse cube

law

(a) planets will not have elliptic orbits

(b) circular orbits of planets is not possible

(c) projectile motion of a stone thrown by hand on the surface of the earth will be
approximately parabolic

(d) there will be no gravitational force inside a spherical shell of uniform density.

Date/C: 10-01-2018/3244/A4988

Answer: Option a is true

If the law of gravitation becomes an inverse cube law, then we can write, for a planet of
mass m revolving around the sun of mass M,

GMm mv 2
F  (where a is radius of orbiting planet)
a3 a

GM 1
 v= orbital speed = v 
a a

2a 2a 2
Time period of revolution of a planet T = 
GM GM
a

 T 2  a4

Hence, orbit will not be elliptical. [for elliptical orbit T 2  a3 ]

 GM 
As force F   3  m  g ' m
 a 

GM
Where, g ' 
a3

As g’, acceleration due to gravity is constant, hence path followed by a projectile will be


approximately parabolic. as T  a2 
This also proves (B) is true as circle is a special case of ellipse

(C) is right as when particle is thrown by hand we can assume g as constant

Option D is not true

Proof:-

The shell theorem concept is valid for gravitation and electric field also as they are
inverse square laws. For inverse cube law the equation will not hold as can be seen
from the following proof
 According to this :- Inside the body of a solid sphere, the field due to the outer
shell is cancelled and the field is only due to the inner part of the sphere.
A metal conductor has charges on the surface of a conductor same as a hollow sphere.
No matter the connection with the wire if there is a uniform distribution of charge, on the
surface, in a shell the field inside it will always be zero.
This is because of the shell theorem
Let us take any random point P.

dQ = dA
Both have equal solid angles 
Solid angles are measured in steradians and like normal angles are depicted by
length of arc A
,solid angles are given by = 2
radius r

dA1 dA2
So 
r12 r22

dQ
Now field due to electrostatic charge is K
r2
dA dA2
E1  k E2  k 
r12 r22
So, E1 = E2 and they are in opposite direction. So field at any point is cancelled. The other
sphere of radius r does not affect sphere a as it is far away.

Best Wishes!

Aakash “Ask an Expert” Team