High School

A 245-kg object and a 545-kg object are separated by 3.30 m. Find the magnitude of the net gravitational force exerted by these objects on a 59.0-kg object placed midway between them.

Answer :

Final answer:

The net gravitational force exerted on the 59.0-kg object is approximately 4.64 × 10⁻⁶ N.

Explanation:

The magnitude of the net gravitational force exerted by the two large objects on the 59.0-kg object can be calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation. The formula to calculate the gravitational force is:

F = G * ((m₁ * m) / r₁²) + G * ((m₂ * m) / r₂²)

Given:
m₁ = 245 kg
m₂ = 545 kg
m = 59.0 kg
r₁ = r₂ = 3.30 m

Plugging in the values, we have:

F = (6.674 × 10-11 N * m² / kg²) * ((245 kg * 59.0 kg) / (3.30 m)²) + (6.674 × 10-11 N * m² / kg²) * ((545 kg * 59.0 kg) / (3.30 m)²)

Simplifying the equation and calculating the value, we get:

F ≈ 4.64 × 10-6 N