Question

Part A Calculate the force of Earth's gravity on a spacecraft 2.00 Earth radii above the Earth's surface if its mass is 1550 kg Express your answer to three significant figures and include the appropriate units. ? Value FG Units Request Answer Submit

Answer 1

Given mass of spacecraft,

m = 1550kg

Altitude of spacecraft,
h = 2RE
, where $R_{E}$ is radius of earth.

So Distance of spacecraft from center of earth,

D=RE +h=RE +2RE = 3RE

D = 3R

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Mass of Earth,

ME = 5.972 * 104 kg

Radius of Earth,

RE= 6.371 * 100m

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Force of Earth's gravity on spacecraft,

FG = Glem 02

$F_{G}=\frac{GM_{E}m}{(3R_{E})^{2}}$

GMem FG = 9RE

$F_{G}=\frac{6.674*10^{-11}*5.972*10^{24}kg*1550kg}{9*(6.371*10^{6}m)^{2}}$

$F_{G}=\frac{6.674*10^{-11}*5.972*10^{24}*1550}{9*6.371^{2}*10^{12}}$

$F_{G}=\frac{6.674*5.972*1550*10^{(-11+24-12)}}{9*6.371^{2}}$

FG = - 6.674 * 5.972 * 1550 * 101 9* 6.3712

ANSWER :${\color{Red} F_{G}=1671.142N}$

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