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Q6.5(b):
Answer the following : (b) Comets move around the sun in highly elliptical orbits. The gravitational force on the comet due to the sun is not normal to the comet’s velocity in general. Yet the work done by the gravitational force over every complete orbit of the comet is zero. Why ?

Solution :

Step 1: Identifying the Nature of Gravitational Force

The gravitational force exerted by the Sun on a comet is defined by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. The force $\vec{F}$ acting on the comet of mass $m$ at a position vector $\vec{r}$ relative to the Sun (positioned at the origin) is given by:

$$\vec{F} = -\frac{GMm}{r^2} \hat{r}$$

[Per Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation]. This force is a central force, meaning it always acts along the line joining the Sun and the comet, directed toward the center of the Sun.

Step 2: Defining the Conservative Nature of the Field

A force is classified as conservative if the work done by the force on an object moving between two points is independent of the path taken, or equivalently, if the work done over any closed path is zero.

The gravitational field $\vec{g}$ is the gradient of a scalar potential field $V(r)$, where $V(r) = -GM/r$. Consequently, the gravitational force can be expressed as the negative gradient of the potential energy $U(r)$:

$$\vec{F} = -\nabla U(r), \quad \text{where } U(r) = -\frac{GMm}{r}$$

[By the definition of a Conservative Field].

Step 3: Calculating Work Done Over a Closed Orbit

The work done $W$ by a force $\vec{F}$ over a closed path $C$ (an orbit) is defined by the line integral:

$$W = \oint_C \vec{F} \cdot d\vec{r}$$

Substituting $\vec{F} = -\nabla U$ into the integral:

$$W = \oint_C (-\nabla U) \cdot d\vec{r}$$

[By the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus for Line Integrals, which states that the integral of a gradient field over a closed loop is zero].

Step 4: Logical Conclusion

Since the gravitational force depends only on the distance $r$ from the Sun, it is a conservative force. For any conservative force, the work done during a displacement from an initial position to the same final position (a complete orbit) must vanish because the change in potential energy $\Delta U$ over a closed loop is zero:

$$W = -\Delta U = -(U_{final} - U_{initial}) = 0$$

Even though the force is not normal to the velocity vector at every instant (implying the speed of the comet changes along the orbit), the path-independent nature of the work done by the gravitational field ensures the total net work over one full revolution is zero.

Sun r Elliptical Orbit

Final Solution: The gravitational force is a conservative force. For any conservative force, the work done in moving a particle around any closed path (such as an elliptical orbit) is identically zero because the work is equal to the negative change in potential energy, and potential energy is a state function that returns to its original value after a complete cycle.


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