Gravitation of two iron spheres homework problem

In summary, the problem is asking to calculate the distance r from the center of the Earth where the force of mutual attraction between two iron spheres, each with a diameter of 100mm and mass m, is equal to the force exerted by the Earth on one of the spheres. After setting two equations equal to each other, it is determined that the distance r is equal to √(M/m)*d, where M is the mass of the Earth and d is the distance between the centers of the spheres. To find the mass m, the density of iron can be used.
  • #1
krnhseya
103
0
Consider two iron spheres, each of diameter 100mm, which are just touching. At what distance r from the center of the Earth will the force of mutual attraction between the contacting spheres be equal to the force exerted by the Earth on one of the spheres?

Here's my work...

d = distance between center of spheres
r = distance between center of Earth to the center of sphere
me = mass of earth
m = mass of sphere=m1=m2

F = G(m^2)/(d^2)
= I get some number with (m^2)...so 1 unknown.

then I make this equal to...

F = G*me*m/(r^2)
= I get some number with m/(r^2)...so 2 unknowns.

I am confused as to what I am suppose to do beyond this...
Problem seems to be asking me to set 2 equations to equal to each other and solve for r but it won't work...what am I doing wrong?

Thank you.
 
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  • #2
It works: (use M for mass of earth)

[tex]\frac{Gm^2}{d^2} = \frac{GMm}{r^2}[/tex]
[tex]\frac{m}{d^2} = \frac{M}{r^2}[/tex]
[tex]r = \sqrt{\frac{M}{m}}d[/tex]

Where you've given M, m and d.
 
  • #3
m isn't given.
First thing that I wrote up there is the whole question.
Answer comes out to be a number.
How do I get the number if I have 2 unknowns. :(

I am thinking that there's something that I am missing that gets rid of that m so that I can cancel out m and just solve for r.
 
  • #4
If they're iron, and you know the size, you can calculate the mass. Density of iron can be found in any data book.
 
  • #5
OMG! There!
Now I see what I've missed.
I got the right answer. Thank you so much! :D
 

FAQ: Gravitation of two iron spheres homework problem

1. What is the formula for calculating the gravitational force between two iron spheres?

The formula for calculating the gravitational force between two objects is F = G(m1m2)/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between the centers of the objects.

2. How do the masses of the two iron spheres affect the gravitational force between them?

The gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses. This means that as the mass of either or both spheres increases, the gravitational force between them also increases.

3. What is the gravitational constant and what are its units?

The gravitational constant, denoted by G, is a fundamental constant in physics that is used to calculate the strength of the gravitational force between two objects. Its value is approximately 6.674 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2 and its units are Nm^2/kg^2.

4. How does the distance between the two iron spheres affect the gravitational force between them?

The gravitational force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance between the two spheres increases, the gravitational force decreases.

5. Can the gravitational force between two iron spheres be negative?

No, the gravitational force between two objects is always positive. A negative value would indicate that the force is acting in the opposite direction, which is not possible for the attractive force of gravity.

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