How Does Weight Change with Distance from Earth's Surface?

The Relationship Between Weight and Distance from Earth's Surface

Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object, and it is directly proportional to the mass of the object. When an object is moved to a different location from Earth's surface, the distance from the center of the Earth becomes a crucial factor in determining the object's weight.

The Inverse Square Law of Gravitation

According to the inverse square law of gravitation, the gravitational force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In the context of weight and distance from Earth's surface, this means that as the distance from the center of the Earth increases, the gravitational force (and hence the weight) decreases.

Calculating Weight at Different Locations

For example, if a 100.0 N object is moved to a point one Earth's radius above the surface, which effectively doubles the distance from the center of the Earth, the new weight of the object can be calculated using the inverse square law. In this case, the weight of the object would decrease to 25.0 N, as the gravitational force at that distance is one-fourth of the force at Earth's surface.

Therefore, the weight of an object changes when it is moved to a different location above Earth's surface due to the variation in gravitational force resulting from the distance from the center of the Earth.