A Spaceship Is in Orbit Around the Earth at an Altitude

question 25

Multiple Choice

A spaceship is in orbit around the earth at an altitude of 12 000 miles. Which one of the following statements best explains why the astronauts experience "weightlessness?"

• A)The centripetal force of the earth on the astronaut in orbit is zero newtons.
• B)The pull of the earth on the spaceship is canceled by the pull of the other planets.
• C)The spaceship is in free fall and its floor cannot press upwards on the astronauts.
• D)The force of gravity decreases as the inverse square of the distance from the earth's center.
• E)The force of the earth on the spaceship and the force of the spaceship on the earth cancel because they are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.

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Definitions:

Seventeenth Century

The seventeenth century is the period from 1601 to 1700 in the Gregorian calendar, marked by significant developments in various fields such as science, philosophy, and exploration.

Benjamin Franklin

One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a noted polymath, inventor, scientist, printer, politician, freemason, and diplomat, as well as a key figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity.

Germans

People originating from Germany, characterized by their culture, language, and historical contributions to various fields.

English Colonies

Territories in the Americas and other parts of the world that were under the control and administration of the English crown from the late 16th to early 18th centuries.