An astronaut weighs 600 N on Earth. During a moon mission, she performs an experiment to measure her weight on the moon. Which value is closest to her expected weight on the moon, and why?
100 N, because the Moon's gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's.
To solve this question, we need to understand the effect of gravitational force on weight, which is a product of mass and gravitational acceleration. The formula for weight (\(W\)) is:
\(W = mg\)
where:
- \(m\) is the mass of the object (in kilograms).
- \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity (in meters per second squared).
On Earth, the gravitational acceleration is approximately \(9.8 \, m/s^2\). On the Moon, however, it is about one-sixth of Earth's gravity, which is approximately \(1.63 \, m/s^2\).
Given that the astronaut weighs 600 N on Earth, we can find her weight on the Moon using the ratio of the gravitational forces. Since the Moon's gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's:
\(\text{Weight on the Moon} = \frac{1}{6} \times \text{Weight on Earth}\)
Substituting the given weight on Earth:
\(\text{Weight on the Moon} = \frac{1}{6} \times 600 \, \text{N} = 100 \, \text{N}\)
Therefore, the closest value to her expected weight on the Moon is 100 N. The option "100 N, because the Moon's gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's" is correct.
Let's analyze the other options to understand why they are incorrect:
- 200 N, because the Moon's gravity is about one-third of Earth's: Incorrect, as the Moon's gravity is approximately one-sixth, not one-third, of Earth's gravity.
- 600 N, because a person's weight remains unchanged on the Moon: Incorrect, because weight depends on local gravitational force, which is different on the Moon.
- 300 N, because the Moon's gravity is about one-half of Earth's: Incorrect, as the Moon's gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's.
Important Questions from Gravitation
Which of the following forces is responsible for the tides, due to the Moon and the Sun?
The weight of an object was 60 N when measured on the surface of the earth. What would be its weight when measured on the surface of the moon?
Seven people, A, B, C, L, X, Y, and Z are sitting in a row, facing north. No one sits to the right of Y. Only three people sit between Y and C. Only two people sit between C and Z. B sits third to the left of X. L sits to the immediate right of X.
How many people sit between A and Z?
The universal constant of gravitation G has the unit
- An object's apparent weight is slightly less at the Earth's equator compared to its poles. This difference is primarily attributed to:
