A hollow spherical planet is inhabited by people who live inside it, where the gravitational field is zero. When a very massive spaceship lands on the planet's surface, inhabitants find that the gravitational field inside the planet is
A)still zero.
B)non-zero, directed toward the spaceship.
C)non-zero, directed away from the spaceship.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational field inside the hollow spherical planet is zero due to the principle of superposition, which states that the gravitational field inside a hollow spherical shell is zero. However, when a very massive spaceship lands on the planet's surface, it creates a non-zero gravitational field inside the planet, directed toward the spaceship. This is because the spaceship's mass is not distributed symmetrically throughout the planet, and therefore creates an uneven distribution of mass which results in a non-zero gravitational field inside the planet.

A Hollow Spherical Planet Is Inhabited by People Who Live