Question

2. Two people, one on Earth and the other on the Moon, try and lift 200 kg blocks. Which person

will have to exert more force to lift their block or will they need to exert the same amount of
force? Explain your reasoning(4 pts)

Answer 1

The person on Earth will have to exert more force to lift their block

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of the blocks to be lifted = 200 kg

The location of the first person = On Earth

The location of the second person = On the Moon

The force a person will have to exert to lift the block = The weight of the block = The gravitational force, F, on the block which is given as follows;

`F = (G * M_1)/(R^2) * m_2`

Where;

`(G * M_1)/(R^2)`= The acceleration due to gravity on the Earth or the Moon, depending on the location of the block

m₂ = The mass of the block

Therefore, given that the acceleration due to gravity on the Earth is larger than the acceleration due to gravity on the Moon, the weight of the block on the Earth is larger than the weight of the block on the Moon, and the person on Earth have to exert more force to lift the heavier weight of the block on Earth than the person on the Moon will have to exert to lift the same block as the block has a lower weight on the Moon due to lower acceleration due to gravity on the Moon.