An astronaut of mass m is working on a satellite orbiting the earth at a distance h from the earth’s surface. The radius of the earth is R, while its mass is M. The gravitational pull FG on the astronaut is :

Question

An astronaut of mass m is working on a satellite orbiting the earth at a distance h from the earth’s surface. The radius of the earth is R, while its mass is M. The gravitational pull F_G on the astronaut is :

Zero since astronaut feels weightless

0 < F_G < ${{GMm} \over {{R^2}}}$

${{GMm} \over {{{\left( {R + h} \right)}^2}}}$ < F_G < ${{GMm} \over {{R^2}}}$

F_G = ${{GMm} \over {{{\left( {R + h} \right)}^2}}}$

Solution

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