Question

An 800 kg car is parked next to a 1000 kg car. Their centers of mass are 3.5 m apart. Find the gravitational force between them.

Answer 1

The calculation of the gravitational force between an 800 kg car and a 1000 kg car 3.5 meters apart utilizes Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, yielding a very small force illustrating gravity's weak influence at small scales between objects of relatively low mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking for the gravitational force between an 800 kg car and a 1000 kg car whose centers of mass are 3.5 m apart. To calculate this, we use Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, which states that the force of gravity (F) between two objects is given by the formula:

F = G × (m1 × m2) / r^2,

where G is the gravitational constant (6.674 × 10^-11 N × m^2/kg^2), m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between the centers of mass of the two objects.

Plugging in the values, we get:

F = (6.674 × 10^-11 N × m^2/kg^2) × (800 kg × 1000 kg) / (3.5 m)^2,

Calculating this gives us a very small gravitational force, which demonstrates the weak nature of gravity at small scales and with objects of relatively low mass compared to celestial bodies.

Answer 2

4.356e-6 Newtons

Step-by-step explanation:

Using the equation for the force of gravity F=
`(Gm_1m_2)/(r^2)`. The two masses are m1=800kg and m2=1000 kg. The value of G, the gravitational constant =6.67e-11. The problem states the distance between the center of masses of the two cars is 3.5 meters(r). Plugging in what we have from the problem, you will get 4.346e-6 newtons. This makes sense as gravity in itself is a weak force requiring extremely massive objects to result in a noticeable force.