Question

The Space Shuttle orbits 300 km above the Earth's surface; the Earth's radius is 6400 km. What is the acceleration due to Earth's gravity experienced by the Space Shuttle?

(A) 4.9 m/s²
(B) 8.9 m/s²
(C) 9.8 m/s²
(D) 10.8 m/s²
(E) zero

Answer 1

The acceleration due to Earth's gravity for the Space Shuttle at an altitude of 300 km above Earth's surface is approximately 9.8 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

The acceleration due to Earth's gravity can be calculated using the formula:

acceleration = (Gravitational constant * mass of Earth) / (radius of Earth + altitude of Space Shuttle)²

Plugging in the values, we get:

acceleration = (6.674 × 10^-11 N*m²/kg² * 5.9726 × 10^24 kg) / (6400 km + 300 km)²

After converting km to meters, we have:

acceleration ≈ 9.8 m/s²

Therefore, the acceleration due to Earth's gravity experienced by the Space Shuttle is 9.8 m/s². This is option (C) in the given choices.