Ask Question
22 February, 19:31

An astronaut lands on a new planet. The new planet's mass is half that of the

Earth and the new planet's radius is half that of the Earth. If he weighs 500 N on

Earth, what will the force of gravity be on him on the new planet?

+4
Answers (1)
  1. 22 February, 19:51
    0
    Ah hah! Very nice problem.

    - - Since the mass is 1/2 of the Earth's mass, the gravitational forces between him

    and the new planet would be 1/2 of what they are on Earth.

    - - Since the distance between him and the center of the new planet is 1/2 of the

    distance between him and the Earth's center, the gravitational forces between him

    and the new planet would be (2) ² = 4 times what they are on Earth.

    - - These conditions combine to make his weight (1/2) x (4) = 2 times his earth weight.

    - - He weighs 1,000 N (about 224.8 pounds) on the new planet.

    (Maybe that's why they selected an astronaut for this mission who only weighs

    about 112.5 pounds on Earth.)
Know the Answer?
Not Sure About the Answer?
Find an answer to your question 👍 “An astronaut lands on a new planet. The new planet's mass is half that of the Earth and the new planet's radius is half that of the Earth. ...” in 📗 Physics if the answers seem to be not correct or there’s no answer. Try a smart search to find answers to similar questions.
Search for Other Answers