Question

An 12 kg mass and a 18 kg mass experience a force of gravity pulling the balls towards each other of
4.7 x 10^-10 N. What is the separation distance of the two masses?

Answer 1

Answer:

$5.5\:\mathrm{m}$

Explanation:

We can use Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation to solve this:

$F=G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}$,

Plugging in given values, we have the equation:

$4.7\cdot 10^{-10}=6.67\cdot 10^{-11}\cdot \frac{12\cdot 18}{r^2}$.

Solving, we get:

$r^2=30.6536,\\r=\fbox{ 5.5\:\mathrm{m} }$.