Question

A hypothetical planet has a mass of half that of the Earth and approximately the same radius. What is the acceleration due to gravity on the planet in terms of the acceleration on the Earth?

Answer 1

g/2

Step-by-step explanation:

Acceleration due to gravity at the surface of a planet is:

g = GM / r²

where G is the universal gravitational constant,

M is the mass of the planet,

r is the radius of the planet.

If a planet has half the mass and the same radius, then:

a = G (M/2) / r²

a = g/2

The acceleration due to gravity on the planet is half the acceleration on Earth.