Question 8

The table shows the acceleration due to gravity on four different planets. What planet is a person standing on if the person has a mass of 35.0 kg and weighs 343 N?

a
Earth
b
Venus
c
Mars
d
Mercury

1 answer

To determine the planet a person is standing on, we can use the relationship between weight, mass, and gravitational acceleration, given by the formula:

\[ \text{Weight} = \text{Mass} \times \text{Acceleration due to gravity} \]

In this case, we have the person's weight (343 N) and mass (35.0 kg). We can rearrange the formula to find the acceleration due to gravity:

\[ \text{Acceleration due to gravity} = \frac{\text{Weight}}{\text{Mass}} \]

Substituting the values:

\[ \text{Acceleration due to gravity} = \frac{343 , \text{N}}{35.0 , \text{kg}} \] \[ \text{Acceleration due to gravity} = 9.8 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

Now, we need to compare this value to the gravitational acceleration of the planets mentioned:

  • Earth: approximately 9.81 m/s²
  • Venus: approximately 8.87 m/s²
  • Mars: approximately 3.71 m/s²
  • Mercury: approximately 3.7 m/s²

The calculated value of 9.8 m/s² is closest to that of Earth.

Thus, the answer is:

a. Earth