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Two astronauts are floating in gravitati...

Two astronauts are floating in gravitational free space after having lost contanct with their spaceship. The two will:

A

keep floating at the same distance between them

B

move towards each other

C

move away from each other

D

will beome stationary

Text Solution

AI Generated Solution

The correct Answer is:
To solve the problem, we need to analyze the situation of the two astronauts floating in gravitational free space. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Understanding the Environment**: - The question states that the astronauts are in "gravitational free space." This means they are far from any massive celestial bodies that would exert a significant gravitational force on them. However, they still possess mass. **Hint**: Consider the implications of being in free space versus being near a massive object. 2. **Gravitational Attraction Between the Astronauts**: - Although they are in free space, the two astronauts (let's call them Astronaut A and Astronaut B) have mass. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, any two masses attract each other with a gravitational force. - The gravitational force \( F_g \) between the two astronauts can be expressed as: \[ F_g = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \] where \( G \) is the gravitational constant, \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) are the masses of the astronauts, and \( r \) is the distance between them. **Hint**: Remember that gravitational force exists between any two masses, no matter how small. 3. **Direction of the Force**: - The gravitational force acts along the line joining the two astronauts. Therefore, Astronaut A will experience a force pulling them towards Astronaut B, and vice versa. **Hint**: Think about how forces act in pairs and the direction in which they act. 4. **Resulting Motion**: - Since both astronauts are attracted to each other due to their mutual gravitational attraction, they will begin to move towards one another. This means that the distance between them will decrease over time. **Hint**: Visualize the scenario: if two objects are attracted to each other, what happens to their separation? 5. **Conclusion**: - Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the two astronauts will move towards one another. ### Final Answer: The two astronauts will **move towards one another**.
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