Gravitational Force Quick Check

Question

1 of 41 of 4 Items
Question
Use the table to answer the question.

Planet Estimated Mass of Planet (1023 kg)
W 6.4
X 3.3
Y 59.7
Z 48.7
Assuming these planets were similar in radius, which planet would an object weigh the most?

(1 point)
Responses

on planet Y
on planet Y

on planet Z
on planet Z

on planet W
on planet W

on planet X
on planet X
Skip to navigation
page 13 of 13

Answer 1

To determine which planet an object would weigh the most on, we can use Newton's law of universal gravitation, which states that weight is directly proportional to the mass of the planet. Given that the radius of the planets is assumed to be similar, the weight of an object on a planet is primarily determined by the gravitational force, which depends on the mass of the planet.

Let's look at the estimated masses:

• Planet W: \(6.4 \times 10^{23} , \text{kg}\)
• Planet X: \(3.3 \times 10^{23} , \text{kg}\)
• Planet Y: \(59.7 \times 10^{23} , \text{kg}\)
• Planet Z: \(48.7 \times 10^{23} , \text{kg}\)

Among these, Planet Y has the largest mass (59.7 × 10²³ kg). Therefore, an object would weigh the most on Planet Y.

So the answer is: on planet Y.