Skip to main content

At What Height From The Surface Of Earth Is The Value Of G Decreases By 2%?

by
Last updated on 4 min read

Gravity drops by 2% at roughly 64 km above Earth's surface — that’s about 1% of our planet’s radius.

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreases by 2%

The value of g falls by 2% at about 64 km up.

We lean on the inverse-square law of gravitation here: g′ = g × (R/(R+h))², with Earth’s radius R sitting around 6,371 km. Plug in g′ = 0.98g and you’ll find h ≈ 0.01R, which lands you at 64 km. (Commercial jets cruise near that altitude, by the way, though you’d never notice the dip.)

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreasing

Gravity starts fading the moment you leave the ground.

There’s no magic line where gravity cuts off — it just eases off steadily as you climb. The drop is gentle close to the surface (around 0.3% per 10 km), then picks up speed the higher you go. Even at 100 km — where space officially begins — gravity is still almost as strong as it is at sea level. If you're curious about how height affects other measurements, check out the average height of a lighthouse for comparison.

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreasing by 36

Gravity dips by 36% when you’re one Earth-radius up (≈6,371 km).

Feed g′ = 0.64g into the inverse-square formula and you get h = R. At that point you’re twice as far from Earth’s core, so gravity falls to one-quarter of its surface value — not 64%, but 25%. People often mix this up, assuming a “36% decrease” means g = 0.36g, when really it means g′ = g – 0.36g = 0.64g. For a deeper dive into how height relates to physical properties, see finding the surface area to volume ratio of a cube.

At what height from the surface of earth will the value of g be reduced by 64

Gravity falls by 64% at roughly 1,600 km above the surface.

A 64% reduction leaves g′ = 0.36g. Solve h = R × (1/√0.36 – 1) and you land at about 0.25R, or 1,600 km. Up there, gravity is less than half what it is down here — noticeable for satellites, but not something you’d feel walking around. To understand how height impacts human activities, explore the height requirements for go-karting.

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreases by 2%?

Gravity drops by 2% at about 64 km above Earth’s surface.

To get there we use the formula for acceleration due to gravity above the surface: g′ = g × (1 – 2h/R). Set g′ = 0.98g and solve 0.98 = 1 – 2h/R, which gives h = 0.01 × 6,400 km = 64 km. If you're interested in how height affects other measurements, consider reading about bones that approximate human height.

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreasing?

Gravity begins to weaken the instant you leave sea level.

Right above the surface, gravity falls off so predictably that a straight-line guess would put zero gravity at half Earth’s radius — about 3,200 km up — though in reality the curve stays gentle until you’re much higher. For more on how height is measured in different contexts, see ADA height requirements for a hand dryer.

At what height above the surface of Earth is the value of g decreasing by 36?

Gravity is 36% weaker at a height equal to Earth’s radius (≈6,371 km).

When gravity drops by 36%, the new value is 64% of the surface figure. Plugging that into the inverse-square relation shows the height equals Earth’s radius itself, which matches answer choice (B).

At what height from the surface of earth will the value of g be reduced by 64?

Gravity is reduced by 64% at about 1,600 km above the ground.

Starting from Earth’s radius of 6,400 km and subtracting 64% of that value gives 8,000 km – 6,400 km = 1,600 km. At that altitude, surface gravity has fallen to 36% of its sea-level strength, making it the correct answer choice (A).

Edited and fact-checked by the FixAnswer editorial team.
Joel Walsh

Known as a jack of all trades and master of none, though he prefers the term "Intellectual Tourist." He spent years dabbling in everything from 18th-century botany to the physics of toast, ensuring he has just enough knowledge to be dangerous at a dinner party but not enough to actually fix your computer.