The radius of the earth is 6400 km. An incoming meteorite approaches the earth along the trajectory shown. The point C in the figure is 6400 km above the earth's surface. The point A is located at the earth's center. At point C, what acceleration would the meteorite experience due to the earth's gravity? A)9.8 m/s² toward A B)2.5 m/s² toward A C)2.5 m/s²toward B D)5.0 m/s² toward B E)5.0 m/s²toward A

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The acceleration due to gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two objects. At point C, the distance between the meteorite and the center of the earth is 6400 + 6400 = 12,800 km. Therefore, the acceleration due to gravity at point C is (6400/12800)^2 times the acceleration due to gravity on the earth's surface, which is approximately 2.5 m/s^2. The direction of the acceleration is toward the center of the earth, which is point A. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

The Radius of the Earth Is 6400 Km