The International Space Station (ISS) has a mass of about 441,000 kg and orbits at a height of about 4.0 x 105 meters above the surface of Earth.    If the average U.S. household uses about 40 billion joules (4.0 x 1010 J) of energy in a year, how many households could be powered for a year by the gravitational potential energy stored in the ISS?   (The height of the ISS above Earth's surface is small enough that you can still use mgh as a reasonable approximation to calculate the gravitational potential energy.)

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
5th Edition
ISBN:9781133104261
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Chapter6: Energy Of A System
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 50P
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The International Space Station (ISS) has a mass of about 441,000 kg and orbits at a height of about 4.0 x 105 meters above the surface of Earth. 

 

If the average U.S. household uses about 40 billion joules (4.0 x 1010 J) of energy in a year, how many households could be powered for a year by the gravitational potential energy stored in the ISS?

 

(The height of the ISS above Earth's surface is small enough that you can still use mgh as a reasonable approximation to calculate the gravitational potential energy.)

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