The picture below shows the Apollo spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon. The spacecraft weighed about 5 million pounds, with motors that produced 7 million pounds of thrust.

Question

552340.png

Which statement explains how the spacecraft left the surface of the earth?

(1 point)
Responses

The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity.
The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity.

The spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity.
The spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity.

The spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was less than the downward force of gravity.
The spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was less than the downward force of gravity.

The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity.
The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity.
Skip to navigation

Answer 1

The correct statement that explains how the spacecraft left the surface of the Earth is:

The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity.

This is because in order for the spacecraft to lift off, the thrust produced by its engines must exceed the gravitational force acting on it. In this case, the motors produced 7 million pounds of thrust, which was greater than the downward gravitational force of approximately 5 million pounds due to its weight.