Find the value of gravitational acceleration at an altitude of 10 km above the
surface of the earth.
Answers
Explanation:
In Unit 2 of The Physics Classroom, an equation was given for determining the force of gravity (Fgrav) with which an object of mass m was attracted to the earth
Fgrav = m*g
Now in this unit, a second equation has been introduced for calculating the force of gravity with which an object is attracted to the earth.
where d represents the distance from the center of the object to the center of the earth.
In the first equation above, g is referred to as the acceleration of gravity. Its value is 9.8 m/s2 on Earth. That is to say, the acceleration of gravity on the surface of the earth at sea level is 9.8 m/s2. When discussing the acceleration of gravity, it was mentioned that the value of g is dependent upon location. There are slight variations in the value of g about earth's surface. These variations result from the varying density of the geologic structures below each specific surface location. They also result from the fact that the earth is not truly spherical; the earth's surface is further from its center at the equator than it is at the poles. This would result in larger g values at the poles. As one proceeds further from earth's surface - say into a location of orbit about the earth - the value of g changes still.