Question

Rhea, with a radius of 7.63×10^5 m, is the second-largest moon of the planet Saturn. If the mass of Rhea is 2.31×10^21 kg, what is the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of this moon?

a) 1.6 m/s²
b) 2.2 m/s²
c) 3.5 m/s²
d) 4.9 m/s²

Answer 1

The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Rhea, the second-largest moon of Saturn, is approximately 1.6 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Rhea can be calculated using Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. The formula for calculating acceleration due to gravity is:

a = GM/r^2

Where G is the gravitational constant (6.67 × 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2), M is the mass of the celestial body, and r is the radius of the celestial body. Plugging in the values for Rhea's mass (2.31 × 10^21 kg) and radius (7.63 × 10^5 m) into the formula, we get:

a = (6.67 × 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2) * (2.31 × 10^21 kg) / (7.63 × 10^5 m)^2

Calculating this expression gives us an acceleration due to gravity of approximately 1.6 m/s², so the answer is (a) 1.6 m/s².