Question

The gravitational acceleration on the moon is about one-sixth the size of the gravitational acceleration on Earth. According to Newton’s second law of motion, what happens to an astronaut who goes to the moon?

The astronaut’s weight decreases because the moon’s gravitational acceleration is greater than Earth’s.
The astronaut’s weight increases because the moon’s gravitational acceleration is greater than Earth’s.
The astronaut’s weight decreases because the moon’s gravitational acceleration is less than Earth’s.
The astronaut’s weight increases because the moon’s gravitational acceleration is less than Earth’s.

Answer 1

The astronaut’s weight decreases because the moon’s gravitational acceleration is less than Earth’s.

Reason: weight = mg. The Moon’s g ≈ 1/6 Earth’s g, so the gravitational force (weight) on the astronaut is about one-sixth as large, though their mass stays the same.