Assume that the average mass of each of the approximately 1 billion people in China is 55 kg.Assume that they all gather in one place and climb to the top of 2 m high ladders.The center of mass of the Earth (m_E = 5.90
10²⁴ kg) is then displaced

Question

Assume that the average mass of each of the approximately 1 billion people in China is 55 kg.Assume that they all gather in one place and climb to the top of 2 m high ladders.The center of mass of the Earth (m_E = 5.90

10²⁴ kg) is then displaced

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total mass of the 1 billion people is 5.5 x 10^10 kg. When they climb to the top of 2 m ladders, the center of mass of the system will be raised by (1 billion people) x (55 kg/person) x (2 m) / (total mass of the system) = 1.82 x 10^-14 m.

This displacement is negligible compared to the size of the Earth and can be considered zero for all practical purposes. However, the closest answer choice is C, 1.84 x 10^-14 m.

Assume That the Average Mass of Each of the Approximately