Question

State whether the following statements are true or false:
(a) A falling stone also attracts the earth.
(b) The force of gravitation between two objects depends on the nature of the medium between them.
(c) The weight of an object on the earth is about one-sixth of its weight on the moon.

Answer 1

(a) The given statement is true. A falling stone attracts the earth with the same force earth attracts the stone, but as the mass of the earth is much much higher as compared to the stone, so the effect of the force is negligible.

(b) The given statement is false. Because the force of gravitation between two objects depends only on the masses of the objects and the distance between them. The change of the medium does not affect the value of the gravitational force.

(c) The given statement is false. The weight of an object is basically due to the acceleration due to gravity or the gravitational force by the planet. The value of acceleration due to gravity on the moon is one-sixth of the value on the earth. Hence, the weight of an object on the moon is about one-sixth of its weight on the earth.