$Assertion$ : The length of the day is slowly increasing.
$Reason$ : The dominant effect causing a slowdown in the rotation of the earth is the gravitational pull of other planets in the solar system.

Four particles,each of mass $M$ and equidistant from each other,move along a circle of radius $R$ under the action of their mutual gravitational attraction. The speed of each particle is

State whether the following statements are true or false:
$(a)$ The value of acceleration due to gravity increases as we go to a depth $d$ below the Earth's surface.
$(b)$ If the escape velocity for an object of mass $m$ on the Earth's surface is $11.2 \, km/s$,then the escape velocity for an object of mass $2m$ is $22.4 \, km/s$.
$(c)$ If the Earth's gravitational attraction suddenly disappears,the mass of an object becomes zero,but its weight remains the same.

If a tunnel is cut at any orientation through the Earth,a ball released from one end will reach the other end in time ........ $\text{min}$ (neglect Earth's rotation).

$(a)$ Earth can be thought of as a sphere of radius $6400 \, km$. Any object (or a person) is performing circular motion around the axis of the Earth due to the Earth's rotation (period $1 \, \text{day}$). What is the acceleration of an object on the surface of the Earth (at the equator) towards its centre? What is it at latitude $\theta$? How do these accelerations compare with $g = 9.8 \, m/s^2$?
$(b)$ The Earth also moves in a circular orbit around the Sun once every year with an orbital radius of $1.5 \times 10^{11} \, m$. What is the acceleration of the Earth (or any object on the surface of the Earth) towards the centre of the Sun? How does this acceleration compare with $g = 9.8 \, m/s^2$?

$A$ planet has a core of density $3\rho$ and an outer crust of density $\rho$. There is a small tunnel through the core. $A$ small particle of mass $m$ is released from end $A$. What is the time required to reach end $B$?