Measuring weight: Your weight varies according
to how far you are from a particular planet and how big the planet is. Your
mass, on the other hand, does not depend on how close you are to a planet or
even what planet you are on. The amount of matter in your body only changes if
you add or lose some mass, for example by going on a diet or building up
muscles. At the Earth’s surface, the force of gravity is about 9.8N for every
kilogram of mass. On Mars, however, the force of gravity is only about 3.7N for
every kilogram of mass.
Here is an example:
We will use a person who weighs 50kg
Formula: weight = mass x gravitational field strength (in Newtons)
Earth: 50kg x 9.8N = 490N
Mars: 50kg x 3.7N = 185N
Here is an example:
We will use a person who weighs 50kg
Formula: weight = mass x gravitational field strength (in Newtons)
Earth: 50kg x 9.8N = 490N
Mars: 50kg x 3.7N = 185N