Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]PhysicsNewton's Laws of Motion
Disregarding the effect of the earth's rotation, imagine the earth abruptly ceases to attract objects positioned near its surface. A person standing on the surface of the earth would
Options
- Afly upwards
- Bcontinue standing
- Cslide across the surface
- Dmove tangentially to the earth's surface
Correct answer
B. continue standing
Step-by-step solution
Disregarding the effect of the earth's rotation, the initial velocity of the person standing on the earth's surface is zero. When the earth abruptly ceases to attract objects, the gravitational force becomes zero. Consequently, the normal reaction force exerted by the surface also becomes zero. Since no external force acts on the person, the net force is zero. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by an external force. Therefore, the person will maintain thei