The weight of spaceman Speff at the surface of planet X, solely due to its gravitational pull, is 389 N. If he moves to a distance of 1.86 × 10⁴ km above the planet's surface, his weight changes to 24.31 N. What is the mass of planet X, if Speff's mass is 75.0 kg? (G = 6.67 × 10^-11 N ∙ m²/kg²) A) 2.99 × 10²⁴ kg B) 2.99 × 10¹⁸ kg C) 2.99 × 10¹⁷ kg D) 1.59 × 10¹⁸ kg

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force is given by F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2. At the surface, F1 = 389 N, and at a distance above the surface, F2 = 24.31 N. Using the ratio of forces and distances, we can solve for the mass of the planet. The correct mass is 2.99 × 10^24 kg.

The Weight of Spaceman Speff at the Surface of Planet