Question

Consider a space shuttle which has a mass of about 1.0 x 105 kg and circles the Earth at an altitude of about 200.0 km. Calculate the force of gravity that the space shuttle experiences

Answer 1

Answer:

1.6675×10^-16N

Explanation:

The force of gravity that the space shuttle experiences is expressed as;

g = GM/r²

G is the gravitational constant

M is the mass = 1.0 x 10^5 kg

r is the altitude = 200km = 200,000m

Substitute into the formula

g = 6.67×10^-11 × 1.0×10^5/(2×10^5)²

g = 6.67×10^-6/4×10^10

g = 1.6675×10^{-6-10}

g = 1.6675×10^-16N

Hence the force of gravity experienced by the shuttle is 1.6675×10^-16N