The Moon (mass 7.35 × 10²² kg) is orbiting about the Earth (mass 5.98 × 10²⁴ kg) at a radius of 3.85 × 10⁸ meters. The magnitude of the force of gravity on the Moon due to the Earth is (G = 6.67 × 10^-11 N m²/kg²) A) 9.20 × 10³⁰ N. B) 3.20 × 10²⁸ N. C) 6.70 × 10²⁴ N. D) 1.98 × 10²⁰ N. E) 4.10 × 10¹² N.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force between two masses is calculated using the formula $F = \frac{Gm_1m_2}{r^2}$, where $G$ is the gravitational constant, $m_1$ and $m_2$ are the masses of the two objects, and $r$ is the distance between their centers. Substituting the given values: $F = \frac{(6.67 \times 10^{-11}) \times (7.35 \times 10^{22}) \times (5.98 \times 10^{24})}{(3.85 \times 10^{8})^2}$, the calculation yields a force of approximately $1.98 \times 10^{20} N$, which corresponds to choice D.

The Moon (Mass 7