The force acting on a 30.0 kg ball is -1.20  10¹⁶ r ^-2 (the force pulls the ball towards r = 0).An externally applied force moves the ball slowly from an initial distance of r_i = 6.38  10⁶ m to a final position of r_f= 6.39  10⁶.The work done by the applied force is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The work done by the applied force is calculated using the work-energy principle, which states that the work done is equal to the change in potential energy. Since the force is proportional to the distance (as indicated by the negative sign, which shows it's attractive towards r = 0), and the change in distance is very small (from $6.38 \times 10^6 m$ to $6.39 \times 10^6 m$), the work done can be approximated by the force times the change in distance. The exact calculation might involve integrating the force over the path, but without the specific force function, we can't perform an exact calculation. However, given the options and understanding that the work done is related to a small change in position under a constant force, option A seems to be the most plausible answer based on typical physics problem-solving strategies.

The Force Acting on a 30