Four weather satellites are orbiting the Earth at a height of 825 kilometers. Some characteristics of the satellites are shown in the table below.

Upon which satellite does the Earth's gravity exert the greatest force?

Satellite Length (m) Altitude (km) Mass (kg)

A

5.5 825 692

B

9.8 825 610

C

4.4 825 840

D

5.6 825 903

D

Explanation:

The gravitational force between any two objects is affected by the masses of the objects and the distance between them. The greater the masses of the objects are, the stronger the gravitational force is.

Since all four of the satellites are the same distance from the Earth's surface, only their masses affect the strength of the gravitational force. At 903 kilograms, satellite D has the greatest mass, so the gravitational force pulling it toward the Earth is the greatest.