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ExamsJEE AdvancedPhysics

At what distance from the centre of the Earth is the net gravitational field due to the Earth and the Moon equal to zero? The mass of the Earth is 6.0 * 10²⁴ kg, the mass of the Moon is 7.4 * 10²² kg, and the centre-to-centre distance between them is 4.0 * 10⁵ km.

  1. 3.6 * 10⁵ km
  2. 36 * 10⁵ km
  3. 3.6 * 10⁶ km
  4. 3.6 * 10⁸ m

Correct answer: 3.6 * 10⁵ km

Solution

Equating the gravitational fields of Earth and Moon along the line joining them gives r / (d - r) = sqrt(Me / Mm). Solving yields r approximately 3.6 * 10⁵ km from Earth's centre.

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