calculate the gravitational force between a student with mass (60kg) and her desk (5kg) if she is sitting .2m from her desk

Answer 1

Use Newton's universal law of gravity.

F = G M1*M2/R^2,

with
M1 = 60
M2 = 5
R = 0.2
Look up G if you have to. It must be in your book.

Actually, if she is sitting at the desk, there will be a much larger force between them because of the Earth below, pulling her down onto the desk. The real force between them would be her weight, M g.

It's a dumb/misleadiung question, if you ask me.