Question

What is the distance between a 900 kg compact car and a 1600 kg pickup truck if the gravitational force between them is about 0.0001 N?

A) 0.01 m
B) 1 m
C) 100 m
D) 1000 m

Answer 1

By applying Newton's law of universal gravitation and solving for the distance between two masses given the gravitational force and the masses, we can calculate the distance between the car and the truck.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question requires the application of Newton's law of universal gravitation, which is Physics related. The gravitational force (F) between two masses (m1 and m2) is determined by the equation F = G(m1m2)/r2, where G is the gravitational constant (6.674 × 10-11 Nm2/kg2), and r is the distance between the centers of the two masses. Given the gravitational force (0.0001 N), the masses of the car (900 kg) and the truck (1600 kg), and the gravitational constant, we can rearrange the formula to solve for r and find the distance between the car and the truck.

To find the distance (r), we use the rearranged formula: r = √(G(m1m2)/F). Plugging in the values: r = √((6.674 × 10-11 Nm2/kg2 × 900 kg × 1600 kg) / 0.0001 N), we can calculate the distance. After performing the calculation, we can compare the resulting distance to the options provided in the multiple-choice question to identify the correct answer.