Question

Explain on which factors does the value of acceleration due to gravity g depend.

Answer 1

The acceleration owing to gravity, g, varies from location to place on Earth. It also fluctuates depending on the height and depth below the earth's surface. The earth's shape, altitude, and depth under its surface all influence the value of g.

1. The earth is not a perfect sphere. It is relatively flat in the poles and bulges at the equator. in the earth's surface, the value of g is highest (9.832 m/s²) in the poles because the polar radius is the smallest, and lowest (9.78 m/s²) near the equator because the equatorial radius is the largest.
2. As the height (h) above the earth's surface rises, the value of g falls. It varies as `1/(R + h)^2`, where R is the radius of the earth.
3. The average value of g in the earth's centre is lower than that at its surface. As the depth below the earth's surface grows, the value of g drops until it reaches zero in the centre of the earth.