The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Earth is g. Calling R the radius of Earth, at what distance from Earth's center would the acceleration due to gravity drop to g/16?
A) 16 R
B) R/16
C) R/4
D) 4 R
E) 2 R

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The acceleration due to gravity decreases with the square of the distance from the center of the Earth. To reduce gravity to g/16, the distance must be 4 times the Earth's radius, since (1/4)^2 = 1/16.

The Acceleration Due to Gravity on the Surface of Earth