When comparing mass and size data for the planets Earth and Jupiter, it is observed that Jupiter is about 300 times more massive than Earth. You might quickly infer that an object on the surface of Jupiter would weigh 300 times more than on the surface of the Earth. For instance, you might expect a person who weighs 500 N on Earth would weigh 150,000 N on the surface of Jupiter. Yet this is not the case. In fact, a 500-N person on Earth weighs about 1500 N on the surface of Jupiter. Explain how this can be.

When comparing mass and size data for the planets Earth and Jupiter, it is observed that Jupiter is about 300 times more massive than Earth. You might quickly infer that an object on the surface of Jupiter would weigh 300 times more than on the surface of the Earth. For instance, you might expect a person who weighs 500 N on Earth would weigh 150,000 N on the surface of Jupiter. Yet this is not the case. In fact, a 500-N person on Earth weighs about 1500 N on the surface of Jupiter. Explain how this can be.

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text

5th Edition

ISBN:9781133104261

Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett

Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett

Chapter11: Gravity, Planetary Orbits, And The Hydrogen Atom

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 6OQ: Suppose the gravitational acceleration at the surface of a certain moon A of Jupiter is 2 m/s2. Moon...

See similar textbooks

Similar questions

Suppose the gravitational acceleration at the surface of a certain moon A of Jupiter is 2 m/s2. Moon B has twice the mass and twice the radius of moon A. What is the gravitational acceleration at its surface? Neglect the gravitational acceleration due to Jupiter, (a) 8 m/s2 (b) 4 m/s2 (c) 2 m/s2 (d) 1 m/s2 (e) 0.5 m/s2
Let gM represent the difference in the gravitational fields produced by the Moon at the points on the Earths surface nearest to and farthest from the Moon. Find the fraction gM/g, where g is the Earths gravitational field. (This difference is responsible for the occurrence of the lunar tides on the Earth.)
The mean diameters of X and Y, two planets in the same solar system, are 6.5 x 10³ km and 1.2 x 104 km, respectively. The mass of x is 0.21 times the mass of Y. The value of g on Y is 8.1 m/s². (a) What is the ratio of the mean density of X to that of Y (Px / Py)? (b) What is the value of g on X? m/s² (c) The mass of Y is 4.372 x 1024 kg. What is the escape speed on X? m/s
Jupiter is about 300 times more massive than Earth. One might quickly conclude that an object on the surface of Jupiter would weigh 300 times more than on the surface of the Earth. For instance, one might expect a person who weighs 500 N on Earth would weigh 150000 N on the surface of Jupiter. Yet this is not the case. In fact, a 500-N person on Earth weighs about 1500 N on the surface of Jupiter. Explain how this can be.
Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law is P2 = 4 π2 / [G (M1 + M2)] · a3, where G is the gravitational constant, which is equal to 6.67*10-11 m3 kg-1 s-2. NASA's New Horizons mission found that Pluto's moon Charon orbits Pluto every 5.3 days at an average distance of 20400.0 km. What is the combined mass (in kg) of Pluto and Charon?
Newtons version of Kepler's third law is P2=4pi2/(G(M1+M2)) x a3. Since the square of the period P varies inversely with the Sum of the masses (M1+M2), the period itself depends on the inverse square root of the object masses. If a solar system has a star that is 3.9 times as massive as our Sun, and if that solar system has Earths exact twin, what is the orbital period of that planets months ?
The mass of a moon is MM and the mass of the planet it orbits is Mp. The distance between the center of the moon and the center of the planet is R. What would happen to the gravitational force between the moon and the planet if the moon's mass was doubled and the distance between their centers was halved?
Planet X has four times the diameter and five times the mass of earth. What is the ratio gx:ge of gravitational acceleration at the surface of Planet X to the gravitational acceleration at the surface of the earth? Please put the ratio on decimal form not on fraction form.
An astronaut standing on Earth’s surface has a weight of 700 N (about 157 lbs). He then takes a rocket ship to a distant planet with a mass twice as large as Earth and a radius 50% larger than Earth’s radius. How much does the astronaut weigh on this new planet (in Newtons)?
A ball of mass m is found to have a weight Wx on Planet X. Which of the following is a correct expression for the gravitational field strength of Planet X? The gravitational field strength of Planet X is mg. The gravitational field strength of Planet X is Wx/m. The gravitational field strength of Planet X is 9.8 N/kg. The gravitational field strength of Planet X is mWx.
The mass of a planet is about 71% of the mass of Jupiter with the same radius. What is the approximate average density of the planet in g/cm3? The mass of Jupiter is 2 x1027kg and Jupiter's radius is 69000.0 km.
On the surface of a planet, you step on a bathroom scale and observe a reading of 180 N. You then board a de-elevator that goes to the center of the planet. On the way down, you stop, weigh yourself again and observe a reading of 50 N. How far below the planet's 'sea level' have you decended in km? Assume the planet radius and mass are 2370 km and 2.8 E23 kg, respectively.