Name: __________________________
What Do You Weigh On Other Planets?
We all live on planet Earth which on the surface has acceleration due to gravity of 9.8 m/s2. This
is due to the mass of the planet. However, not all planets have the same mass; this difference in
mass will cause different planets to have different accelerations due to gravity. In this activity
you will find your weight in both Newtons and Pounds on different planets, the moon, and the
sun.
Instructions: Using these basic formulas you will take your weight or that of a 33 pound dog and
turn it into kilograms. Then you can find how much you would weight on different planets.
Step 1: Pounds to Kilograms
1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms
So if you take how much you weigh and times it by 0.454 it will give you your mass in
kilograms.
Weight in pounds _____________
Mass in kilograms ____________
Example: 155 lbs x 0.454 = 70.37 kg
Step 2: Weight on different planets
weight = mass x (acceleration due to gravity)
Example: 70.37 kg x (9.8) = 689.63 N
----- Weight in Newtons
Step 3: Weight in Newtons to pounds
1 Newton = 0.225 lbs
Example: 689.63 x 0.225 = ~155 lbs
Since I used a weight a person could have on Earth and then used Earth’s gravity my answer
should come out to be the same in pounds. It will not do this if you use another planet’s gravity.
Gravity Weight Table
Planets
m = Mass
(Kg)
acceleration due
to
gravity (m/s2)
Earth
9.8067
Moon *Not a
planet
1.625
Mass x acceleration due
to gravity:
Weight (N)
Weight
(lbs.)
Mercury
_________
3.61_
_________
Venus
_________
8.83_____
_________
Mars
_________
3.728_______
_________
Jupiter
_________
25.93___
_________
Saturn
_________
11.19____
_________
Uranus
_________
9.01____
_________
Neptune
_________
11.28__
_________
Pluto *Not a
planet
0.610
Sun *Not a
planet
274.1
Show your work for gravity on the MOON below: