Question 1

If the sun were twice as massive

Accepted Answer

A) its pull on the Earth would double. 
B) the pull of the Earth on the sun would double. 
C) both of these 
D) neither of these

Question 2

Inside a freely falling elevator,there would be no

Accepted Answer

A) gravitational force on you. 
B) apparent weight for you. 
C) both of these 
D) none of these

Question 3

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft.If the spacecraft moves to a position three times as far from the center of the asteroid,the force will be

Accepted Answer

A) zero. 
B) 40 N. 
C) 120 N. 
D) 360 N. 
E) 1080 N.

Question 4

The amount of gravitational force that acts on the space shuttle while in orbit is

Accepted Answer

A) nearly zero. 
B) almost as much as the shuttle's weight on the Earth's surface. 
C) the same as the shuttle's weight on the Earth's surface.

Question 5

Two objects move toward each other because of gravity.As the objects get closer and closer,the force between them

Accepted Answer

A) increases. 
B) decreases. 
C) increases,then decreases. 
D) decreases,then increases. 
E) remains constant.

Question 6

If the radius of the Earth somehow decreased with no change in mass,your weight would

Accepted Answer

A) increase. 
B) not change. 
C) decrease.

Question 7

There would be only one ocean tide per 24-hour day if the

Accepted Answer

A) Earth and moon were equally massive. 
B) moon were more massive than the Earth. 
C) sun's influence on the tides were negligible. 
D) moon's mass were small - only a few kilograms. 
E) none of these

Question 8

When the distance between two stars decreases by half,the force between them

Accepted Answer

A) decreases by one-quarter. 
B) decreases by one-half. 
C) increases to twice as much. 
D) increases to four times as much. 
E) stays the same.

Question 9

For lunar tides to occur in the human body

Accepted Answer

A) most of the body would have to be in the liquid state. 
B) the Earth's gravitation would have to be incredibly small. 
C) parts of the body would have to be appreciably closer to the moon than other parts. 
D) But there are lunar tides in the body,as evidenced by women's monthly menstrual cycles. 
E) none of these

Question 10

The best time for digging clams (when the low tide is extra low)is during the time of the

Accepted Answer

A) new or full moon. 
B) half moon. 
C) quarter moon. 
D) none of these times in particular

Question 11

What is the force of gravity on a 500-newton woman standing on the Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

A) 50 N 
B) 250 N 
C) 500 N 
D) 5000 N 
E) none of these

Question 12

If the Earth's mass decreased to one-half its original mass with no change in radius,then your weight would

Accepted Answer

A) decrease to one quarter your original weight. 
B) decrease to one half your original weight. 
C) stay the same. 
D) none of these

Question 13

How far must one travel to get away from the Earth's gravitational field?

Accepted Answer

A) to a region above the Earth's atmosphere 
B) to a region well beyond the moon 
C) to a region beyond the solar system 
D) Forget it;you can't travel far enough.

Question 14

If you drop a stone into a hole drilled all the way to the other side of the Earth (neglect the molten core),the stone will

Accepted Answer

A) come to an abrupt stop at the center of the Earth. 
B) speed up until it gets to the center of the Earth. 
C) speed up until it reaches the other side of the Earth. 
D) slow down until it reaches the center.

Question 15

The main reason ocean tides exist is that the pull of the moon

Accepted Answer

A) and sun are in conjunction at high tides and in opposition at low tides. 
B) is greater on oceans closer to the moon and less on oceans farther from the moon. 
C) is greater on the Earth because the moon is closer to Earth. 
D) and the sun on the oceans are in opposite directions. 
E) none of these

Question 16

A weight watcher who normally weighs 400 N stands on top of a very tall ladder so she is one Earth radius above the Earth's surface.How much would she weigh there?

Accepted Answer

A) 0 
B) 100 N 
C) 200 N 
D) 400 N 
E) none of these

Question 17

Tidal forces in general are the result of

Accepted Answer

A) two or more sources of gravitation. 
B) a combination of any kind of forces acting on a body. 
C) unequal forces acting on different parts of a body. 
D) the inverse-square law. 
E) unequal fluid flow.

Question 18

If your mass,the mass of the Earth,and the mass of everything in the solar system were twice as much as it is now,yet everything stayed the same size,your weight on Earth would

Accepted Answer

A) be the same. 
B) double. 
C) quadruple. 
D) be eight times as much as now. 
E) none of these

Question 19

According to Newton,doubling the distance between two interacting objects

Accepted Answer

A) divides by 2 the gravitational force between them. 
B) multiplies by 2 the gravitational force between them. 
C) divides by 4 the gravitational force between them. 
D) multiplies by 4 the gravitational force between them.

Question 20

An object is placed exactly halfway between the Earth and moon.The object will fall toward the

Accepted Answer

A) Earth. 
B) moon. 
C) neither of these

Exam 9: Gravity