Question

Calculate the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon with the following values:

Average distance between the Earth and the Moon = 4.0 x 10^5 km.
Gravitational constant G = 6.673 x 10^-25 Km/Kg sec^2.

A) 2.674 x 10^18 N
B) 6.673 x 10^-7 N
C) 8.0 x 10^30 N
D) 4.0 x 10^5 N

Answer 1

The gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon is approximately 1.985 x 10^20 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon can be calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that the force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Using the given values, the average distance between the Earth and the Moon is 4.0 x 10^5 km. Converting this to meters, we get 4.0 x 10^8 m. The gravitational constant G is 6.673 x 10^-11 N·m²/kg².

So, the equation to calculate the gravitational force is: F = (G * (m1 * m2)) / r², where F is the gravitational force, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the Earth and the Moon, and r is the distance between them.

Substituting the given values, we get: F = (6.673 x 10^-11 N·m²/kg² * (5.98 x 10^24 kg * 7.35 x 10^22 kg)) / (4.0 x 10^8 m)².

Simplifying the expression gives us the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon as approximately 1.985 x 10^20 N.