Final answer:
The value of the acceleration due to gravity on Mercury is 3.7 m/s², which is determined by Mercury's mass and radius using the universal gravitational constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
The value of acceleration due to gravity on Mercury is 3.7 m/s². The gravitational constant G is a universal constant and has the same value throughout the universe. It is equal to 6.67 × 10−¹¹ N · m²/kg². By knowing the mass of Mercury and its radius, we can calculate the value of g on Mercury. This is less than the acceleration due to gravity on Earth, which is approximately 9.81 m/s². On Mercury, gravity exerts a weaker pull on masses than it does on Earth. The general expression for acceleration due to gravity is represented by the formula g = GM/R², where G is the universal gravitational constant, M is the mass of the celestial body, and R is its radius. In this context, g is used to denote the specific acceleration due to gravity on a celestial body's surface.