SOLUTION: The radius of the earth is approximately 4000 miles. If a person weighs 160 pounds on the earth's surface, what would this individual weigh 8000 miles above the surface of the eart

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Question 976694: The radius of the earth is approximately 4000 miles. If a person weighs 160 pounds on the earth's surface, what would this individual weigh 8000 miles above the surface of the earth.
Please explain the answer to this question.
Thanks!
Found 2 solutions by Fombitz, Alan3354:
Answer by Fombitz(32388) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Your weight is a measure of the attractive force between you and the Earth and is inversely proportional to the square of your distance from the center of the Earth.
W=k%2Fr%5E2
Wr%5E2=k
W%5B1%5D%2Ar%5B1%5D%5E2=W%5B2%5D%2Ar%5B2%5D%5E2
W%5B2%5D=W%5B1%5D%2A%28r%5B1%5D%2Fr%5B2%5D%29%5E2
W%5B2%5D=160%284000%2F8000%29%5E2
W%5B2%5D=160%281%2F4%29
W%5B2%5D=40lbs

Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The radius of the earth is approximately 4000 miles. If a person weighs 160 pounds on the earth's surface, what would this individual weigh 8000 miles above the surface of the earth.
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8000 miles AGL = 12000 miles from the center.
3 times the distance --> 1/9 the weight.
--> 160/9 pounds