A spaceship is travelling from earth to the moon. At this particular time of the month
the distance between the centres of the earth and moon is 400000 km. There is a particular point where the ship will effectively become weightless, when the gravitational
force exerted by the earth is equal to that exerted by the moon.
(a)
Show that at this point in the journey the following relationship holds:
ME/R
2
E = MM/R
2
M
where ME and MM are the masses of earth and moon and RE and RM are the distances
of the ship from the centres of earth and moon respectively.

Question

A spaceship is travelling from earth to the moon. At this particular time of the month
the distance between the centres of the earth and moon is 400000 km. There is a particular point where the ship will effectively become weightless, when the gravitational
force exerted by the earth is equal to that exerted by the moon.
(a)
Show that at this point in the journey the following relationship holds:
ME/R
2
E = MM/R
2
M
where ME and MM are the masses of earth and moon and RE and RM are the distances
of the ship from the centres of earth and moon respectively.

anonymous · Answer

those twos are meant to be squared signs, the radii are squared

anonymous · Answer

might be slightly easier to read if you look at q5 on this sheet: http://www.geoph.uq.edu.au/erth3020/gravity/erth3020_tut_gravity.pdf

anonymous · Answer

you're hw sucks.. grr Idk I 'm sorry :q

anonymous · Answer

aw :(

anonymous · Answer

i thought i was meant to do some kind of simultaneous equation thing, but dunno how

anonymous · Answer

Hold on and I'll go ask someone else to look at it