unit 4 lesson 10 Newton's third law
the picture below shows the appollo spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon, the spacecraft weighed about 5 million pounds, with motors that produced 7 million pounds of thrust.
which statement explains how the spacecraft left the surface of the earth?
the spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity.
the spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity
the spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was less than the downward force of gravity,
the spacecraft applied a downward force of thrust that was equal to the downward force of gravity
The correct statement is: The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity.
To determine how the spacecraft left the surface of the Earth, we need to consider Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, the action is the force of thrust applied by the spacecraft's motors, and the reaction is the force of gravity pulling the spacecraft downward.
Since the motors produced 7 million pounds of thrust, and the spacecraft weighed 5 million pounds, we can conclude that the upward force of thrust applied by the spacecraft was greater than the downward force of gravity. Therefore, the correct statement is:
"The spacecraft applied an upward force of thrust that was greater than the downward force of gravity."
By comparing the magnitudes of the upward force of thrust and the downward force of gravity, we can determine the relationship and determine which force was greater.