The discussion revolves around questions related to universal gravitation, specifically focusing on calculating the force of gravity at a distance above the Earth's surface and determining the acceleration due to gravity on different planets based on their mass and radius.
The discussion includes attempts to clarify the application of gravitational formulas, with one participant expressing a realization about the problem independently. There is no explicit consensus reached among participants regarding the initial questions posed.
One participant notes that the object in question is a spaceship, which raises considerations about the applicability of standard gravitational equations in this context.
jshaner858 said:1) if something is 5 Earth radii above the Earth's surface and you know its mass, how would you figure out force of gravity on it?
2)and given the radius and mass of a planet how would you be able to figure out the acceleration due to gravity on it?