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If the Earth were three times farther from the Sun than it is now, the gravitational force exerted on Earth by the sun would be:

Correct answer: C. One-ninth times

  • A. Three times
  • B. Nine times
  • C. One-ninth times
  • D. One-third times

Explanation

The correct option is: C) One-ninth times The gravitational force (f) is given by GMm/r 2 . In this case, if the Earth were three times farther from the Sun, the new distance (r') would be three times the original distance. So F' will be GMm/9r2 on comapring F' with F , we get a ratio of 1/9. So, the gravitational force (F') would be one-ninth of the original force (F).

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Newton’s law of universal gravitation relates the force between masses to their masses and separation, while gravitational field strength explains weight and orbital motion. The topic covers satellite velocity and period, escape ideas, weightlessness in free fall, and artificial gravity, which differs from ordinary gravitational attraction.

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