Question

An astronaut weighs `8 *10^2` `N` on the surface of Earth. What is the weight of the astronaut `6.37 * 10^6` meters above the surface of Earth?

Answer 1

The weight of the astronaut `6.37xx10^6` meters above the surface of Earth is `2xx10^2` Newtons.

Explanation:

Earth's radius is `6.37xx10^6` meters#

`6.37xx10^6` meters# above the surface of Earth means doubling the distance of the object, here astronaut.

As Force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two bodies, doubling this distance means, the force becomes one-fourth.

Hence, the weight of the astronaut `6.37xx10^6` meters above the surface of Earth is `(8xx10^2)/4=2xx10^2` Newtons.