GIVING ! A 20 pound barbell is brought from earth to the International Space Station(ISS). How does this trip affect the gravitational force between the two ends of the barbell? Assume the distance between the barbell end masses does not change.

A) The gravitational force between the ends remains the same.

B) The gravitational force between the ends increases.
The gravitational force between the ends decreases.

D) The gravitational force between them doubles.

E) The gravitational force
between them decreases by one half.

B

Explanation: The International Space Station ISS (assume that the weight of the ISS, if it were on the surface of the earth, is approximately 990,000 pounds) orbits the earth at an altitude of approximately 250 miles above the surface of the earth. Assuming a circular orbit, what is the attractive force that the earth exerts to keep it in orbit? An object's mass does not change from place to place, but an object's weight does change because the gravitational acceleration ge depends on the square of the distance from the center of the Earth. Let's do a calculation and determine the weight of the Space Shuttle in low Earth orbit. On the ground, the orbiter weighs about 250,000 pounds.