Question

1 Answer the following:
(a) You can shield a charge from electrical forces by putting it inside a hollow conductor.
Can you shield a body from the gravitational influence of nearby matter by putting
it inside a hollow sphere or by some other means ?
(b) An astronaut inside a small space ship orbiting around the earth cannot detect
gravity. If the space station orbiting around the earth has a large size, can he hope
to detect gravity ?
(c) If you compare the gravitational force on the earth due to the sun to that due
to the moon, you would find that the Sun's pull is greater than the moon's pull.
(you can check this yourself using the data available in the succeeding exercises).
However, the tidal effect of the moon's pull is greater than the tidal effect of sun.
Why?​

Answer 1

Answer:

a) We cannot shield a body from the gravitational influence because the gravitational force on a body due to nearby matter is independent of the presence of other matter.

b) The gravitational constant of the earth is always constant hence gravitational pull is not experienced by the body.

c)If you compare the gravitational force on the Earth due to the Sun to that due to the Moon, you would find that the Sun's pull is greater than the Moon's pull. Therefore, the tidal effect of Moon's pull is greater than the tidal effect of the sun.