Exploring Weight in Outer Space

How does weight change in outer space?

If an object has a weight of 40 N on the surface of the Earth, what would be its weight when lifted to a height of 3200 km above the surface of the Earth?

Answer:

The weight of an object decreases as we move away from the Earth's surface due to a reduction in gravitational acceleration. Using the formulas for gravitational acceleration and weight, we find that an object weighing 40 N on Earth would weigh approximately 29.9 N at a height of 3200 km above the Earth's surface.

When an object is lifted to a height above the Earth's surface, the force of gravity acting on it decreases. This leads to a reduction in the object's weight compared to when it was on the surface of the Earth.

To calculate the weight of the object at a height of 3200 km above the Earth's surface, we need to consider the change in gravitational acceleration. The acceleration due to gravity decreases as we move further away from the Earth's surface.

At a height of 3200 km above the Earth's surface, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 7.33 m/s², which is lower than the standard acceleration due to gravity of 9.80 m/s² on the Earth's surface.

Using the formula for weight (weight = mass x gravitational acceleration), we can determine that the object weighing 40 N on Earth would weigh about 29.9 N at a height of 3200 km above the Earth's surface.

Therefore, the weight of the object changes as it is lifted to outer space, reflecting the decrease in gravitational pull at greater distances from Earth.