Question

A container of rocks is brought back from the moon's surface where the acceleration due to gravity is 1.62 meters per second². If the container of rocks weighs 81 newtons (N) on the moon, what is its weight, in whole newtons, on the Earth's surface, where the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s²?

A) 800 N
B) 810 N
C) 900 N
D) 820 N

Answer 1

To determine the weight of the container of rocks on Earth if it weighs 81 N on the Moon, we calculate the mass using the Moon's gravity and then recalculate the weight using Earth's gravity, resulting in 490 N. None of the options is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the weight of the container of rocks on the Earth's surface, we can use the equation W = mg, where W is the weight, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. On the moon, the weight of the container is 81 N, and the acceleration due to gravity is 1.62 m/s². So, using the equation, we can find the mass of the container by rearranging the equation to m = W/g. Substituting the given values, we get m = 81 N / 1.62 m/s² = 50 kg. Now, we can find the weight of the container on the Earth's surface using the same equation and the acceleration due to gravity on Earth, which is 9.8 m/s². Thus, W = mg = 50 kg * 9.8 m/s² = 490 N.