What is the gravitational force of attraction between a planet and a 17-kilogram mass that is freely falling toward the surface of the planet at 8.8 m/s2?

a
8.8 N
b
1.9 N
c
150 N
d
0.52 N.

1 answer

To find the gravitational force of attraction between the planet and the 17-kilogram mass, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:

\[ F = m \cdot a \]

where:

  • \( F \) is the gravitational force,
  • \( m \) is the mass of the object (17 kg in this case),
  • \( a \) is the acceleration due to gravity (8.8 m/s² in this case).

Now, we can plug in the values:

\[ F = 17 , \text{kg} \times 8.8 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ F = 149.6 , \text{N} \]

Rounding this to two significant figures gives approximately \( 150 , \text{N} \).

Therefore, the correct answer is:

c) 150 N.