2024TrialMultiple choice

Q3

1 mark

Question

If an astronaut orbiting the Earth near its surface were to stand on a set of bathroom scales, why would there be a reading of zero?
A. The astronaut’s mass becomes zero.
B. The strength of the gravitational field is zero.
C. The pull of the Earth is balanced by the pull of the Moon.
D. The astronaut falls towards the Earth at the same rate as the space capsule.

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Syllabus alignment

Module 5 · Advanced Mechanics

Motion in Gravitational FieldsPredict orbital speed, period, radius and acceleration for planets and satellites, including geostationary orbits.

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