Weight and g: From what height above the surface of the earth should an object be dropped to initially experience an acceleration of 0.9200g? The radius of the earth is 6.38 × 10⁶ m. A) 272 km B) 260 km C) 554 km D) 510 km

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The acceleration due to gravity (g) decreases with height above the Earth's surface according to the formula $g' = \frac{gR^2}{(R+h)^2}$, where $g'$ is the new acceleration due to gravity, $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surface (9.8 m/s$^2$), $R$ is the radius of the Earth, and $h$ is the height above the Earth's surface. To find the height where the acceleration is 0.9200g, we set $g' = 0.9200g$ and solve for $h$. Substituting the given values and solving for $h$ gives a height of approximately 272 km.

Weight and G: from What Height Above the Surface of the Earth