Question

Four satellites orbit Earth at a similar distance. Which object experiences the greatest gravitational force with Earth, the satellite with the smaller mass or greater mass?

a. Satellite with smaller mass
b. Satellite with greater mass
c. Gravitational force is the same for both
d. Not enough information to determine

Answer 1

The greater mass satellite experiences the strongest gravitational force with Earth because gravitational force increases with mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The satellite that experiences the greatest gravitational force with Earth is the one with the greater mass. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force (F) between two masses (m1 and m2) is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) between their centers:

F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2

Where G is the gravitational constant. Given that the distance is similar for all four satellites, the one with the greater mass will experience the greater gravitational force with Earth.