An object is lifted from the surface of a spherical planet to an altitude equal to the radius of the planet. As a result, what happens to the mass and wieght of the object?

Lets' see, same masses, distance is doubled from the center of Earth,

F=G Mm/distance^2, so wouldn't that make force go down to 1/4?

Mass stays the same, but weight is now 1/4

When an object is lifted from the surface of a planet to an altitude equal to the radius of the planet, two main things happen:

1. Mass of the object: The mass of an object remains constant. Lifting the object does not change its mass. Mass refers to the quantity of matter present in an object, and it remains the same regardless of its location or altitude.

2. Weight of the object: The weight of the object decreases. Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. As the object is lifted away from the surface of the planet, the distance between the object and the planet's center increases. Consequently, the gravitational force acting on the object weakens, leading to a decrease in weight.

It's important to note that while the mass of the object remains constant, its weight decreases due to the change in gravitational force.

When an object is lifted from the surface of a spherical planet to an altitude equal to the radius of the planet, the following happens to its mass and weight:

1. Mass: The mass of an object remains unchanged. Mass is an inherent property of an object and does not depend on its location or the presence of gravity. So, the mass of the object remains the same regardless of its altitude.

2. Weight: The weight of an object, on the other hand, is influenced by gravitational force. As you move away from the surface of the planet, the gravitational force acting on the object decreases. The weight of an object is the force with which it is pulled towards the center of the planet. This force is calculated using the formula:

Weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity

Since the altitude in question is equal to the radius of the planet, the distance from the object to the center of the planet doubles compared to when it was at the surface. Therefore, the gravitational force acting on the object becomes one-fourth (1/4) of the force at the surface.

So, when the object is lifted to an altitude equal to the radius of the planet, its weight decreases to one-fourth (1/4) of its weight at the surface.