Universal Gravitation and magnitude

AI Thread Summary
To determine the gravitational force on a 340 kg satellite 850 km above Earth's surface, the Universal Gravitation Law is applied: Fg = (Gm1m2)/d^2. The mass of Earth (m1) is 5.98E24 kg, and the gravitational constant (G) is 6.67E-11. The key error identified is that the distance (d) should be the sum of Earth's radius and the satellite's height above the surface, not just the height. After correcting for this, the calculation can be completed to find the correct gravitational force. Understanding the proper distance to use is crucial for accurate results.
Dgolverk
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Homework Statement


Determine the magnitude of the force of gravity acting on a 340 kg satellite, 850km above Earth's surface.


Homework Equations


So I dedcided to use the Universal Gravitation Law:
Fg = (Gm1m2)/d^2


The Attempt at a Solution


m1=5.98E24 (earth's mass)
m2=340kg (satellite)
G=6.67E-11
d=850,000m

After subbing them all into the formula I got 187,701N.
However the answer in the book is 2.1E2N.
So I'm not sure if I did it right... can you please check it?
Thanks
 
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Dgolverk said:

Homework Equations


So I dedcided to use the Universal Gravitation Law:
Fg = (Gm1m2)/d^2
Good choice. But the distance "d" is between the centers of the two bodies, not height above the Earth's surface.
 
Oh.. I see.
So how can I continue? I'm not really sure what to do next...
 
You're given the distance between the satellite and the Earth's surface. What's the distance from the Earth's surface to the Earth's center--the radius of the Earth? (Look it up!)
 
Alright I understand.
Thanks :)
 

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