Question 168931
The weight of an object varies inversely with the square of the distance from earth's center (3,960 miles). A man weighs 250 lbs on the surface of the earth. How much would he weigh in an airplane flying at 30,000 ft?
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3960 miles = 3960*5280 feet = 20908800 feet
His weight at 30000 feet above that is
{{{250*((20908800)/(20908800+30000))^2}}}
= {{{250*(209088/209388)^2}}}
= 249.284 pounds
That's a difference of 0.716 pounds, or 11.45 ounces.