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Daily Digest Archive for March 13, 2003

Q: (Initially posted on March 12, 2003) FROM MENTEE JEWEL C. IN MA
What is between the stopping point of the
earth's gravity and the starting point of
no gravity?

March 13, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
the gravitational force between any two objects is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between them : to 1/r^2
(one divided by r-squared) where r is the distance between their
centers. As r gets bigger and bigger the force gets smaller, but it
doesn't literally reach zero until r is infinite. But if you ask at
what distance from the earth does gravity become 1/100 of what it is
here at the surface, you can easily see that out in space 10 times as
far from the center (9 more earth's-radii away than the surface),
gravity will be down to 1/100 as much. And for any desired fraction
of the gravity at the surface you can find the corresponding distance.

Gravity acts at tremendous distances - influencing the motion of
galaxies all throughout the cosmos.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DIONISIO IN CA
Gravity is due to the earths force and I'm not sure exactly what distance the earth's pull has no effect on a person's body. The force just gets smaller as a person or any object moves further from the center of the earth.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR SHEILA ENGLAND IN PA
Check out this web site:
http://newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/wea00/wea00080.htm


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