Asteroid collides with Earth, new accel. of gravity?

In summary, the conversation revolves around a question on a test about the force of gravity after an asteroid hits Earth, with the Earth having a new mass and radius. The participants discuss using Newton's law of gravitation and calculating the acceleration of an object when exposed to that force. One person also mentions getting a wrong answer on the test.
  • #1
confusedbyphysics
62
0
This was on my test and I took a guess because I was so confused. The question is that an asteroid hits Earth and now the Earth has a mass of 1.5 times its original mass and a radius of .75 times its original radius. What is its new force of gravity?

its driving me crazy because it seemed like it should be one of the easiest problems on the test but i was stumped for some reason. how should I have done this? Thanks!
 
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  • #2
How can "g" be expressed by Newton's law of gravitation?

Can't see the point, though, because if an asteroid with mass possibly exceeding half the mass of the Earth, there will be no one about noticing the change in "g"..:wink:
 
  • #3
LOL, good point.

Is it F = G X m1 X m2 / r^2?

thats all I could think of...where F is gravitational force and r is .75 X the radius of the Earth and one of the masses is 1.5 X the mass of earth. and G is 6.67 X 10^-11. but I don't know what the other mass would be. Do I just assign a number?? Or is this wrong altogether
 
  • #4
confusedbyphysics said:
LOL, good point.

Is it F = G X m1 X m2 / r^2?

thats all I could think of...where F is gravitational force
Yes, that is the gravitational FORCE.
What must then the ACCELERATION be of an object with the mass [itex]m_{1}[/itex] when exposed to that force?
 
  • #5
a=F/m. ah, so the ms just cancel out when you set F = ma... I got a = 19.6 (not the answer I circled on the test CRAP!)
 

1. What is an asteroid?

An asteroid is a small, rocky object that orbits around the sun. They are remnants from the formation of our solar system and can range in size from a few feet to hundreds of miles in diameter.

2. What happens when an asteroid collides with Earth?

When an asteroid collides with Earth, it can cause significant damage depending on its size and speed. The impact can result in a large explosion and shock wave, as well as the formation of a crater. It can also cause earthquakes, tsunamis, and other destructive effects.

3. How does an asteroid impact affect the acceleration of gravity on Earth?

If an asteroid collides with Earth, it can cause a temporary change in the acceleration of gravity. This is because the asteroid's mass is added to Earth's mass, which increases the force of gravity. However, this effect is usually very small and temporary.

4. Can an asteroid collision change Earth's orbit?

Yes, an asteroid collision can potentially change Earth's orbit. If the asteroid is large enough and has a significant impact, it can alter Earth's trajectory and distance from the sun. However, this is a rare occurrence and would require a very large and powerful asteroid.

5. What measures are in place to prevent an asteroid collision with Earth?

Scientists and researchers are constantly monitoring and tracking asteroids that could potentially collide with Earth. If an asteroid is predicted to come too close, there are plans in place to potentially deflect its trajectory using various methods, such as gravitational pull or a nuclear explosion. However, the success of these measures is not guaranteed and more research is needed in this area.

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