MCQ 11 Mark
The acceleration of the moon just before it strikes the earth in the previous question is :
- A$10ms^{-2}$
- B$0.0027ms^{-2}$
- ✓$6.4ms^{-2}$
- D$5.0ms^{-2}$
Answer
View full question & answer→Correct option: C.
$6.4ms^{-2}$
According to the previous question, we have :
Radius of the moon, $\text{R}_\text{m}=-\frac{\text{R}_\text{e}}{4}=\frac{6400000}{4}1600000\text{m}$
So, when the Moon is just about to hit the surface of the Earth, its centre of mass is at a distance of $(R_e + R_m)$ from the centre of the Earth.
Acceleration of the Moon just before hitting the surface of the earth is given by,
$\text{g'}=\frac{\text{GM}}{(\text{R}_\text{e}+\text{R}_\text{m})^2}=\frac{\text{GM}}{\text{R}^2_\text{e}\Big(1+\frac{\text{Rm}}{\text{Re}}\Big)^2}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g'}=\frac{\text{g}}{\Big(1+\frac{\text{Rm}}{\text{Re}}\Big)^2}=\frac{10}{\Big(1+\frac{1}{4}\Big)^2}=\frac{10\times16}{25}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g'}=6.4\ \text{m/s}^2$
Radius of the moon, $\text{R}_\text{m}=-\frac{\text{R}_\text{e}}{4}=\frac{6400000}{4}1600000\text{m}$
So, when the Moon is just about to hit the surface of the Earth, its centre of mass is at a distance of $(R_e + R_m)$ from the centre of the Earth.
Acceleration of the Moon just before hitting the surface of the earth is given by,
$\text{g'}=\frac{\text{GM}}{(\text{R}_\text{e}+\text{R}_\text{m})^2}=\frac{\text{GM}}{\text{R}^2_\text{e}\Big(1+\frac{\text{Rm}}{\text{Re}}\Big)^2}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g'}=\frac{\text{g}}{\Big(1+\frac{\text{Rm}}{\text{Re}}\Big)^2}=\frac{10}{\Big(1+\frac{1}{4}\Big)^2}=\frac{10\times16}{25}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g'}=6.4\ \text{m/s}^2$



