Question

A spaceman of mass 80 kg is sitting in a spacecraft near the surface of the earth. the spacecraft is accelerating upward at five times the acceleration due to gravity. what is the force of the spaceman on the spacecraft?

O 800 N
O 4000 N
O 4800 N
O 3200 N

Answer 1

The force exerted by the spaceman on the accelerating spacecraft is calculated using Newton's second law. The correct answer is 4800 N (c), considering the upward acceleration of the spacecraft.

The correct answer is option c. 4800 N

Step-by-step explanation:

The force exerted by the spaceman on the spacecraft can be determined using Newton's second law, which states that the force (F) acting on an object is equal to the mass (m) of the object multiplied by its acceleration a:

`\[ F = m \cdot a \]`

Given:

Mass of the spaceman,
`\(m = 80 \ \text{kg}\)`

Acceleration due to gravity on Earth,
`\(g = 9.8 \ \text{m/s}^2\)` (downward)

The net acceleration of the spacecraft
`(\(a_{\text{net}}\))` is given as five times the acceleration due to gravity:

`\[ a_{\text{net}} = 5 \cdot g \]`

Now, substitute the values into the formula:

`\[ F = m \cdot a_{\text{net}} \]`

`\[ F = 80 \ \text{kg} \cdot 5 \cdot 9.8 \ \text{m/s}^2 \]`

Calculate the force (F):

`\[ F = 80 \ \text{kg} \cdot 49 \ \text{m/s}^2 = 3920 \ \text{N} \]`

So, the force exerted by the spaceman on the spacecraft is
`\(3920 \ \text{N\ upward}\)`.