Halliday, Resnick & Walker — Gravitation: Problem Problem_25

A solid sphere has a uniformly distributed mass of \(1.0 \times 10^4 \text{ kg}\) and a radius of \(1.0 \text{ m}\). What is the magnitude of the gravitational force due to the sphere on a particle of mass \(m\) when the particle is located at a distance of (a) \(1.5 \text{ m}\) and (b) \(0.50 \text{ m}\) from the center of the sphere? (c) Write a general expression for the magnitude of the gravitational force on the particle at a distance \(r \leq 1.0 \text{ m}\) from the center of the sphere.