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On earth, two parts of a space probe weigh 10500 N and 3000 N. These parts are separated by a center- to- center distance of 23 m and may be treated as uniform spherical objects. Find the magnitude of the gravitational force that each part exerts on the other in space, far from any other objects.

User XDaevax
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Answer:

The magnitude of the gravitational force that each part of the space probe exerts on the other in space, far from any other objects, is approximately 6.27 x 10^-6 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the magnitude of the gravitational force that each part of the space probe exerts on the other, we can use the equation for gravitational force:

F = (G * m1 * m2) / r^2

where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2), m1 and m2 are the masses of the two parts of the space probe, and r is the distance between their centers.

Given that the masses are proportional to the weights, we can rewrite the equation as:

F = (G * w1 * w2) / r^2

where w1 and w2 are the weights of the two parts.

Substituting the given values into the equation:

F = (6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2) * (10500 N) * (3000 N) / (23 m)^2

Simplifying the equation:

F = (6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2) * (10500 N) * (3000 N) / (23 m)^2

F ≈ 6.27 x 10^-6 N

Therefore, the magnitude of the gravitational force that each part of the space probe exerts on the other in space, far from any other objects, is approximately 6.27 x 10^-6 N.

User Fred Barclay
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