Question

On the moon, a bag of sugar has a weight of 3.7 Newtons (N) and a mass of 2.26 kilograms (kg). Which of the following describes the mass of the sugar on Earth?

A. Earth exerts a gravitational force on itself.
B. You don't weigh enough to affect Earth's surface.
C. Your mass is very small compared to Earth's mass.
D. Earth's fixed orbit around the Sun keeps it from moving.

Answer 1

The mass of the sugar remains the same on Earth as on the moon, at 2.26 kg. Its weight, however, would increase to approximately 22.15 Newtons due to Earth's higher gravity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of the sugar on Earth would remain the same as on the moon, that is, 2.26 kilograms (kg). This is because mass is an intrinsic property of an object and does not change regardless of the object's location or the force of gravity acting upon it. However, the weight of the sugar would be different on Earth due to the different acceleration due to gravity. On Earth, where the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.80 m/s², the weight of an object is calculated by multiplying its mass by this acceleration (weight = mass × acceleration due to gravity). Assuming the universal gravitational constant on Earth, the weight of the sugar on Earth would be approximately 2.26 kg × 9.80 m/s², which equals about 22.15 N.