Answer: the mass of the body.
- A the mass of the body
- B the radius of the planet
- C the mass of the planet
- D the height above the surface
Correct answer: A. the mass of the body
Explanation: Since g = GM/R<sup>2</sup>, it depends on the planet mass, its radius and height, but is independent of the mass of the falling body.
g is maximum at Earth's surface; going up, it falls off as 1/r² (inverse-square); going down, it falls off linearly with depth (since only the mass enclosed within radius r contributes), reaching zero at the centre.
Concept context
Universal gravitation, orbital mechanics, gravitational potential, and escape velocity.