Question

Although it contributes only 0.02 percent to Earth's total mass, the water in Earth's oceans is still quite massive. Suppose the water of the oceans could somehow be drained, kept in liquid form, and moved as far from Earth as the moon is. How large would the gravitational force between the water and Earth be? Assume the mass of the ocean's water to be 1.4 x 10²¹ kg, the mass of Earth to be (5.98 x 10²⁴ kg). and the Earth-moon distance to be 3.84 x 10⁸ m.

Answer 1

The force of the gravity that acts is 6.4 *
`10^{17`N.

Gravitational force is the attractive force between two masses due to their mass and the distance between them. It is one of the fundamental forces in nature, described by Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation.

We can see that the force is;

F = Km1m2/
`r^2`

F = gravitational force

m1 = mass of the water

m2 = mass of the earth

r = distance

F = 6.67 *
`10^{-11` * 1.4 x 10²¹ * 5.98 x 10²⁴/(3.84 x 10⁸
`)^2`

F = 6.4 *
`10^{17`N

The force is 6.4 *
`10^{17`N.