What is the ranking of gravitational forces exerted by Earth on a spaceship from strongest to weakest?

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Enhance your knowledge for the ASU PHY101 Exam. Prepare with multiple choice questions, flashcards, and explanations. Get exam ready with ease!

To understand why the ranking of gravitational forces exerted by Earth on a spaceship from strongest to weakest is A > C > D > E > B, one must consider the factors that influence gravitational force.

Gravity is a force that depends on the mass of the objects involved and the distance between them. The formula for gravitational force is given by Newton's law of universal gravitation:

[ F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} ]

Where ( F ) is the gravitational force, ( G ) is the gravitational constant, ( m_1 ) and ( m_2 ) are the masses of the two objects, and ( r ) is the distance between the centers of the two objects.

  1. Mass of the spaceship: The first factor to consider is the mass of the spaceship. A heavier spaceship will experience a stronger gravitational pull when compared to a lighter one if all other factors are equal.

  2. Distance from Earth's center: The second factor is the distance from the center of the Earth. The farther away the spaceship is from the Earth, the weaker the gravitational force it experiences, as gravitational force decreases with the square of the distance.

In the correct ranking

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