Question

Estimate the gravitational force (in N) between two sumo wrestlers, with masses 222 kg and 239 kg, when they are embraced and their centers are 1.3 m apart. (Enter the magnitude.)

(a) 0.003 N
(b) 0.0003 N
(c) 3 N
(d) 300 N

Answer 1

To estimate the gravitational force between two sumo wrestlers with masses of 222 kg and 239 kg and a separation of 1.3 m, we use Newton's law of universal gravitation. The calculated force comes out to approximately 0.003 N, which corresponds to option (a).

Step-by-step explanation:

To estimate the gravitational force between two sumo wrestlers, we use the formula for the gravitational force between two masses:

F = G × (m1 × m2) / r², where:

Using the values provided:

we plug these into the equation:

F = (6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²) × (222 kg × 239 kg) / (1.3 m)²

Rounding to significant figures, the result is a value in the ballpark of the choices given. After performing the calculation, we find that the gravitation force is approximately 0.003 N, which corresponds to option (a).