Question

NASA sends an unmanned lander to test conditions on the surface of Mars. What is the magnitude of the gravitational force acting on the lander on the surface of Mars? DATA: Mass of Mars = 6.42·1023 kg Radius of Mars = 3397 km Mass of lander = 138.1 kg

Answer 1

Answer:

The magnitude of the gravitational force acting on the lander on the surface of Mars is 512.46 N.

Explanation:

The Universal law of gravity is define as:

$F = G \frac{M.m}{R^{2}}$  (1)

Where F is the gravitational force, G is gravitational constant, M is the mass of Mars, m is the mass of the lander and R is the radius of Mars.

Before replacing the values in equation 1 it is necessary to express the radius of mars in terms of meters:

R = $3397 kmx\frac{1000 m}{1 km}$ ⇒ R = $3397000 m$

Finally, equation 1 can be used:

$F = (6.67x10^{-11} N.m^{2}/Kg^{2}) \frac{(6.42x10^{23} kg)(138.1 kg)}{(3397000 m)^{2}}$

$F = 512.46 N$

Hence, the magnitude of the gravitational force acting on the lander on the surface of Mars is 512.46 N.