Gravitational Pulls- Acceleration decreases as object is farther from center

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of a sensitive gravimeter at a mountain observatory to find the acceleration due to gravity, which is 0.0057 m/s2 less than that at sea level. The conversation then discusses the use of the equation g= (GM)/r^2 to find the observatory's altitude. One person provides their attempt at a solution, using the Earth's radius and mass, but is unable to get the correct answer. Another person suggests squaring the Earth's radius, but the first person realizes their mistake and instead uses the Earth's mass. However, this still does not give the correct answer.
  • #1
Phoenixtears
83
0

Homework Statement



A sensitive gravimeter at a mountain observatory finds that the acceleration due to gravity is 0.0057 m/s2 less than that at sea level. What is the observatory's altitude?
___m

Homework Equations



g= (GM)/r^2


The Attempt at a Solution



Alrighty, my attempt makes sense to me, so I'm sure where I'm going wrong.

I began by finding the mass. So, I used 9.8 m/s2 as the g and then the Earth's radius as r:

9.8= (6.67E-11)M/6.37E6 (<----- the Earth's radius)

M= 9.359E17 kg

Then I subtracted the acceleration change given from 9.8:

9.8-0.0057 = 9.7943 m/s2
That is my new g.

Then, using the found mass, I plugged in my new numbers:

9.7943= (6.67E-11)(9.36E17)/ r^2
r=2523.4 m

That, however, was not the correct answer. I can't see my error. Could anyone help me out?

Thanks in advance!

~Phoenix
 
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  • #2
Do you need to square the Earth's radius?
 
  • #3
atyy said:
Do you need to square the Earth's radius?

Sorry. I never came back to edit that out. My mistake. I actually realized that I was being dense and could just use the Earth's mass- 5.98E24.

Yet this is still the incorrect answer. Can anyone help me?
 
  • #4
We can't tell why your result is incorrect if you don't tell us what your result is and how you obtained it. In other words, show your work, please!
 

1. What is gravitational pull?

Gravitational pull is the force of attraction that exists between two objects with mass. This force is responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the sun and objects on Earth's surface.

2. How does acceleration change as an object moves farther from the center?

According to the law of universal gravitation, as an object moves farther away from the center of another object, the force of gravitational pull decreases and therefore the acceleration also decreases.

3. Why does acceleration decrease as an object moves away from the center of another object?

This is due to the inverse square law of gravity, which states that the force of gravitational attraction between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. As the distance increases, the force and therefore the acceleration decreases.

4. Does this mean that the force of gravity disappears at a certain distance?

No, the force of gravity never completely disappears. It just becomes weaker as the distance between two objects increases. However, at extremely large distances, the force becomes so small that it becomes negligible and can be ignored in calculations.

5. How does the mass of an object affect its gravitational pull?

The greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational pull will be. This means that larger objects have a greater influence on the acceleration of smaller objects around them.

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