Question

The International Space Station orbits 350 km above Earth’s surface. Earth’s radius is about 6314 km. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance from the space station to Earth’s horizon. Round your answer to the nearest kilometer. (Diagram is not to scale.)

Answer 1

2131 km

Explanation:

The Pythagorean theroeom states that a^2+b^2=c^2. We know that Earth's radius is 6314, so we know one of the shorter sides, (a). side c, the hypotenuse, is 6314 km plus 350 km. Plug it into the equation and then solve for b.

6314^2+b^2=6664^2

b^2=4542327

sqaure root each side and you have your answer!