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

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

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

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

This is because the spacecraft needed to produce more thrust than the weight of the spacecraft (which was affected by gravity) in order to lift off from the Earth's surface and accelerate upward.