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Determine the acceleration due to gravity for low Earth orbit (LEO) given: MEarth = 6.00 x 1024 kg, rEarth = 6.40 x 106 m, G = 6.67 x 10-11 m3kg-1s-2, and LEO is 400 km above Earth's surface.

User Stas S
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2 Answers

3 votes

Answer:9.8m/s^2

Step-by-step explanation:

Acceleration due to gravity(g)=?

Mass of earth(m)=6x10^24kg

G=6.67x10^(-11)

Radius of earth(r)=6.4x10^6m

g=(mxG)/r^2

g=(6x10^24x6.67x10^(-11))/(6.4x10^6)

g=(4.002x10^14)/(4.096x10^13)

g=9.8m/s^2

User Rjd
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4 votes

Answer:

The answer to the question is as follows

The acceleration due to gravity for low for orbit is 9.231 m/s²

Step-by-step explanation:

The gravitational force is given as


F_(G)= (Gm_(1) m_(2))/(r^(2) )

Where
F_(G) = Gravitational force

G = Gravitational constant = 6.67×10⁻¹¹
(Nm^(2) )/(kg^(2) )

m₁ = mEarth = mass of Earth = 6×10²⁴ kg

m₂ = The other mass which is acted upon by
F_(G) and = 1 kg

rEarth = The distance between the two masses = 6.40 x 10⁶ m

therefore at a height of 400 km above the erth we have

r = 400 + rEarth = 400 + 6.40 x 10⁶ m = 6.80 x 10⁶ m

and
F_(G) =
(6.67*10^(-11) *6.40*10^(24) *1)/((6.8*10^(6))^(2) ) = 9.231 N

Therefore the acceleration due to gravity =
F_(G) /mass

9.231/1 or 9.231 m/s²

Therefore the acceleration due to gravity at 400 kn above the Earth's surface is 9.231 m/s²

User Floh
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