Secondary I • 2yr.
Hello,Â
My teacher told us that our weight is not the same on Earth and on the Moon, I don't understand why, can you help me please?
Hello,Â
My teacher told us that our weight is not the same on Earth and on the Moon, I don't understand why, can you help me please?
Explanation from Alloprof
This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.
Thank you for your question 😊
The concepts of weight and mass can sometimes be confusing.Â
In fact, the mass of an object is the quantity of matter of which an object is made while the weight is the force with which the Earth (or other stars, for example the Moon) draws us towards it.
To find the weight of an object, we use the formula W = m•g where W = weight (N) m = mass (kg) and g = the intensity of the gravitational field of a planet (N / kg).
The intensity of the gravitational field of the Earth is 9.80 N / kg while the one of the Moon is 1.67 N / kg. While your mass does not change (m), the intensity of the gravitational field (g) on ​​the Moon is weaker than on the Earth, your weight (W) is then smaller on the Moon.Â
Do not hesitate to write to us again if you have any other question!
Éveline