A very small round ball is located near a large solid sphere of uniform density.The force that the large sphere exerts on the ball
A) is exactly the same as it would be if all the mass of the sphere were concentrated at the center of the sphere.
B) is approximately the same as it would be if all the mass of the sphere were concentrated at the center of the sphere.
C) is independent of the mass of the ball.
D) is independent of the mass of the sphere.
E) can only be calculated using calculus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The large sphere has uniform density, which means that the mass is evenly distributed throughout the entire sphere. Due to this property, the force that the large sphere exerts on the small ball is the same as if all the mass were concentrated at the center of the sphere. This can be shown using the shell theorem in physics. Therefore, Choice A is the correct choice.

A Very Small Round Ball Is Located near a Large