|
The Moon's Gravity - How much you would weigh on the Moon?Your weight on the Moon is a function of the Moon's gravity. First, we know that gravity is a force that attracts all physical objects towards each other (but why this happens is largely unknown!). "Weight" is a measure of that gravitational pull. Second, the greater the mass of an object, the stronger the force of gravity. The Moon's mass is about 1/80th (1.2%) of the Earth's mass, so the Moon's gravity is much less than the Earth's gravity; specifically, the Moon's gravity is 1/6th (16.7%) of the Earth's gravity. Or, stated another way, the Moon's gravity is 5/6 (83.3%) LESS than the Earth's. Other related facts: the Moon is 1/4 the size of the Earth by diameter, and 1/50 the size by volume.The bottom line is that you would weigh much less standing on the Moon. Imagine how far you could jump on the Moon! The Apollo astronauts apparently had fun :-)Your Weight On The MoonIf you were to take a scale to the Moon and stand on it, here's what it would say:* This selection (unit of measure) doesn't affect the calculationthe gravity of the Moon is always 1/6 of whatever unit you're using. Also: in physics, the kilogram is a unit of mass (the amount of matter in an object) and pounds are a unit of weight or force (mass * acceleration of gravity). In common, non-scientific usage, however, "pounds" and "kilograms" are understood to refer to weight and hence is suitable for the purposes of this calculator, which is simply to see how the force of gravity on the Moon compares to Earth.
|