Final answer:
To find the weight of a penguin on Mars, first calculate its mass from its weight on Earth and then multiply by Mars' gravity. The penguin's weight on Mars would be approximately 9.05 N.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the change in weight of an object due to the difference in the acceleration due to gravity (g) on different planets. The weight of an object is calculated by the formula w = m × g, where w is weight, m is mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. On Earth, g is approximately 9.80 m/s², and on Mars, it is 3.71 m/s².
To find the weight of a penguin on Mars, we first need to calculate the penguin's mass on Earth using its weight and Earth's gravity:
Mass on Earth (m) = weight on Earth (w) ÷ Earth's gravity (g)
m = 23.9 N ÷ 9.80 m/s²
m ≈ 2.44 kg
Then, we use the mass of the penguin and the gravity on Mars to find its weight there:
Weight on Mars = mass × Mars' gravity
Weight on Mars = 2.44 kg × 3.71 m/s²
Weight on Mars ≈ 9.05 N