You are on an airplane traveling with a constant velocity at an altitude of 20,000 m. What is the acceleration of gravity at that altitude? The radius of Earth is 6.37 × 10⁶ m. A) 9.81 m/s² B) 9.78 m/s² C) 9.75 m/s² D) 9.72 m/s² E) 9.69 m/s²

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The acceleration due to gravity decreases with altitude. At 20,000 m, the acceleration is slightly less than 9.81 m/s². Using the formula g' = g * (R / (R + h))², where R is Earth's radius and h is the altitude, the value is approximately 9.75 m/s².

You Are on an Airplane Traveling with a Constant Velocity