Gravitational Fields Lab for A Level Physics

Build planetary systems, map gravitational fields and potential, investigate Kepler’s laws, launch spacecraft and compare recorded motion with your calculations.

Learning guide and suggested activities

What this tool shows

Gravitational fields, equipotentials and vector superposition around editable planets
The difference between geometric midpoint, barycentre and the zero-field point
Circular and elliptical orbits, orbital energy and all three Kepler laws
Surface launches, escape speed, timed engine burns and mutual gravitational attraction
Pop-out graphs, recorded measurements, replay and calculations pupils can check

OCR A relevance

5.4.1–5.4.2: Fields, spherical source models and Newton’s inverse-square law
5.4.3: Planetary motion, Kepler’s laws and geostationary satellites
5.4.4: Potential, work, gravitational potential energy and escape speed

AQA relevance

3.7.2.1–3.7.2.2: Newton’s law and gravitational field strength
3.7.2.3: Potential, equipotentials, gradients and work
3.7.2.4: Orbits, energies, escape speed and synchronous satellites

Try these tasks

Record field strength at six radii and infer a planet’s mass from the gradient.
Compare a signed force–distance graph area with the change in potential energy.
Find the zero-field point between unequal masses and compare it with the barycentre.
Measure the period and equal-time swept areas of an elliptical orbit.
Predict escape speed, launch a capsule and compare kept runs with different masses.
Schedule a prograde burn and account for the change in mechanical energy.