The gravitational field at the Moon due to the Earth is approximately (G = 6.67 × 10^-11 N m²/kg², the mass of the Earth is 5.98 × 10²⁴ kg, and the distance to the Moon is 3.85 × 10⁸ m) A) 2.69 × 10^-3 N/kg toward the Earth. B) 2.69 × 10^-3 N/kg away from the Earth. C) 7.30 × 10^-3 N/kg away from the Earth. D) 7.30 × 10^-3 N/kg toward the Earth. E) 5.00 × 10^-3 N/kg toward the Earth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula to calculate the gravitational field is:
g = GM/r^2
where g is the gravitational field, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth, and r is the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Substituting the given values in the above formula,
g = (6.67 × 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2) × (5.98 × 10^24 kg) / (3.85 × 10^8 m)^2
g = 2.69 × 10^-3 N/kg
The gravitational field is directed towards the Earth, hence the answer is option A.

The Gravitational Field at the Moon Due to the Earth