Question

4 of 12
if the mass was added to the satellite, how would the gravitational
attraction between it and earth be affected?
a the gravitational attraction would decrease.
b the gravitational attraction would increase.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for gravitational force

The formula for gravitational force is \(F = G\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}\), where \(G\) is the gravitational constant, \(M\) is the mass of the Earth, \(m\) is the mass of the satellite, and \(r\) is the distance between the center of the Earth and the satellite.

Step2: Analyze the effect of increasing \(m\)

Since \(F\) is directly proportional to \(m\) (when \(G\), \(M\), and \(r\) are constant), if \(m\) (mass of the satellite) increases, the value of \(F\) (gravitational attraction) will increase.

Answer:

B. The gravitational attraction would increase.