The weight or gravitational force, is the mass of an objecttimes the gravitation
ID: 1662672 • Letter: T
Question
The weight or gravitational force, is the mass of an objecttimes the gravitational acceleration. W = m * ge
An object's mass does not change from place to place, but anobject's weight does change because the gravitational accelerationge depends on the square of the distance from thecenter of the Earth.
go / ge = (d Earth) 2 / (d orbit)2
The distance from the center of the Earth to the Earth’ssurface is approximately 4000 miles. In orbit, the Shuttle isabout 200 miles above the surface of the Earth; the distance fromthe center of the Earth is then 4200 miles.
To calculate the weight, use the formula, Ws/ge = Wo/gowhere Ws = surface weight, Wo is the orbitalweight, and go is the orbital value of the gravitationalacceleration and the Earth's gravitational acceleration,ge = 9.8 m/sec2 = 32.2 ft/sec2
Calculate the weight of the Space Shuttle in low Earth orbit. Onthe ground, the orbiter weighs about 250,000 pounds.
Explanation / Answer
Thegravitational constant ratio is the square of (4000/4200) whichequals .907. In orbit, the weight of the shuttle is its weight onearth times the gravitational constant in orbit.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.