A weather research team operates instruments at two mountain stations situated at altitudes of 2.0km and 5.0km above sea level, respectively. A package of scientific equipment has a mass of 15kg.
Take g=9.8m s−2 and R=6.4×106m.
(i) Calculate the weight of the package at the 2.0km station.
(ii) Calculate its weight at the 5.0km station.
(iii) Determine the percentage change in weight when the package is moved from the lower station to the higher one.
(iv) Comment on whether this change would be significant for the calibration of sensitive spring balances used in the stations, justifying your answer with the numerical value obtained.