Question

If the radius of earth were to shrink by one percent (its mass remains the same), then the acceleration due to gravity on the earth’s surface ___________

(a) Would decrease

(b) Would remain unchanged

(c) Would increase

(d) Cannot be predicted

I got this question during an interview.

This is a very interesting question from Gravitational Potential Field topic in division Mechanical Properties of Solids of Engineering Physics I

Answer 1

Right answer is (c) Would increase

To explain: Acceleration due to gravity on the earth’s surface

g=GM/R^2

If R decreases, then g increases.

Hence the acceleration due to gravity on the earth’s surface would increase if the radius of earth were to shrink by one percent.