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The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is only 319 N. How much (in N) do they weigh on Earth?

User Seydou
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Answer:

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Earth is 1,931.69 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

Newton's second law, called the fundamental law or fundamental principle of dynamics, states that a body accelerates if a force is applied to it. This law indicates that the net force applied on a body is proportional to the acceleration that the body acquires. The constant of proportionality is the mass of the body, so Newton's second law is expressed in the following formula:

F = m*a

Where:

  • F is the net force. It is expressed in Newton (N)
  • m is the mass of the body. It is expressed in kilograms (Kg).
  • a is the acceleration that the body acquires. It is expressed in meters over second squared (m/s²).

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is only 319 N. Then, being:

  • F= weight= 319 N
  • m= ?
  • a = acceleration of the Moon's gravity, whose value is 1.62 m/s²

you get:

319 N= m* 1.62 m/s²

Solving:


m=(319 N)/(1.62 (m)/(s^(2) ) )

m=196.91 kg

The mass is an invariable quantity, regardless of the planet in which the astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is, then you have:

  • F= weight= ?
  • m= 196.91 kg
  • a = acceleration of the Earth's gravity, whose value is 9.81 m/s²

replacing in the definition of force:

Weight= 196.91 kg* 9.81 m/s²

Weight= 1,931.69 N

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Earth is 1,931.69 N.

User Trollliar
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