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Mass Distribution with Calculus definitions Flashcards

Mass Distribution with Calculus definitions
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  • Gravitational Force
    The force of attraction between two masses, calculated using Newton's law of gravity.
  • Non-spherical Mass Distribution
    A mass configuration that cannot be approximated as a point mass at its center.
  • Differential Mass (DM)
    A small segment of mass used in calculus to approximate a continuous mass distribution.
  • Differential Force (DF)
    The infinitesimal force generated by a differential mass in a gravitational field.
  • Integral
    A mathematical operation used to sum infinitesimal quantities, such as forces or masses.
  • Center of Mass Distance
    The distance from a point mass to the center of mass of a distribution.
  • Vector Decomposition
    The process of breaking a vector into its component parts, typically along orthogonal axes.
  • Cosine
    A trigonometric function representing the adjacent side over the hypotenuse in a right triangle.
  • Hypotenuse
    The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
  • Pythagorean Theorem
    A mathematical relation in a right triangle: the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
  • Constants
    Values that do not change during the integration process, such as G and M in gravitational calculations.
  • Radius of the Ring
    The fixed distance from the center to any point on the circumference of a ring.
  • Distance (D)
    The horizontal distance from a point mass to the center of a mass distribution.
  • Three Halves Power
    An exponent indicating a value raised to the power of 1.5, often seen in gravitational formulas.
  • Mass (M)
    The total amount of matter in an object, often used as a constant in gravitational equations.