If you were on the moon, and you were trying to move a 20-lb bowling ball and a 3-foot cube of Styrofoam, which item would take more work to move? Why?

Question

A.
the Styrofoam; it weighs more on the moon
B.
the Styrofoam; it is larger
C.
the bowling ball; it is a harder object
D.
the bowling ball; it has greater mass anywhere

Answer 1

To determine which item would take more work to move on the Moon, we need to consider the concept of weight and how it relates to the force required to move an object.

On the Moon, the gravitational force is about 1/6th that of Earth, so while the weight of the objects is less, their mass remains the same.

1. Weight of the Objects:

   • The 20-lb bowling ball weighs less on the Moon, as its weight is a product of gravitational force.
   • The 3-foot cube of Styrofoam, assuming it has a low density, will also weigh significantly less than it does on Earth, but its volume is relatively large.

2. Work Done: Work is defined as force multiplied by distance (W = F * d). If we assume you're moving both objects the same distance, the force required to move each object is crucial. The force to move an object is contingent on its weight, which is less on the Moon than on Earth.

Considering these factors:

• Styrofoam may have low weight on the Moon, but moving a large volume might have more resistance due to air pressure if it were in an atmosphere. However, the Moon has no atmosphere, eliminating that resistance.
• The bowling ball has a greater mass than the Styrofoam, and even though it's lighter on the Moon, it is still denser and could be harder to initiate movement due to its inertia.

Based on these considerations, the answer is:

D. the bowling ball; it has greater mass anywhere.

The bowling ball has greater overall mass, and while it weighs less on the Moon than on Earth, its inertia due to its mass means you would need to exert more effort (or work) to move it compared to the Styrofoam.