An object has a weight of 100 N on the surface of the Earth. If the object is moved to 2R_E above the surface of the Earth, its weight is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The weight of an object changes with distance from the Earth's center according to the inverse square law of gravitation. At a distance of twice the Earth's radius from the surface (i.e., three times the Earth's radius from the center), the gravitational force (and thus weight) is reduced by a factor of $1/(2^2) = 1/4$. Therefore, the new weight is $100 N / 4 = 25 N$. However, the correct interpretation of the provided code "2R_E" seems to have been misunderstood in the explanation. The correct answer based on the standard understanding of physics principles and ignoring the encoded message would indeed be 25 N, but given the choices and the potential for a misinterpretation or typo in the question or answer choices, a direct calculation based on the standard physics formula would lead to 25 N as the expected outcome for an object moved to a distance of twice the Earth's radius above its surface. This discrepancy suggests a need for clarification in the question or answer choices provided.

An Object Has a Weight of 100 N on the Surface