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

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 equal to 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 an upward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity.

Answer 1

In the scenario described, the Apollo spacecraft had motors that produced 7 million pounds of thrust while it weighed about 5 million pounds.

To analyze the situation in terms of forces:

1. Weight of the spacecraft (downward force due to gravity): 5 million pounds.
2. Thrust produced by the motors: 7 million pounds.

The thrust produced is considerably greater than the weight of the spacecraft. When the thrust is greater than the weight, the net force is upward, meaning the spacecraft can accelerate upward.

Therefore, the correct statement is:

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