Question

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is only 319 N. How much (in N) do they weigh on Earth?

Answer 1

Answer:

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Earth is 1,931.69 N.

Explanation:

Newton's second law, called the fundamental law or fundamental principle of dynamics, states that a body accelerates if a force is applied to it. This law indicates that the net force applied on a body is proportional to the acceleration that the body acquires. The constant of proportionality is the mass of the body, so Newton's second law is expressed in the following formula:

F = m*a

Where:

• F is the net force. It is expressed in Newton (N)
• m is the mass of the body. It is expressed in kilograms (Kg).
• a is the acceleration that the body acquires. It is expressed in meters over second squared (m/s²).

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is only 319 N. Then, being:

• F= weight= 319 N
• m= ?
• a = acceleration of the Moon's gravity, whose value is 1.62 m/s²

you get:

319 N= m* 1.62 m/s²

Solving:

$m=\frac{319 N}{1.62 \frac{m}{s^{2} } }$

m=196.91 kg

The mass is an invariable quantity, regardless of the planet in which the astronaut plus his space suit on the Moon is, then you have:

• F= weight= ?
• m= 196.91 kg
• a = acceleration of the Earth's gravity, whose value is 9.81 m/s²

replacing in the definition of force:

Weight= 196.91 kg* 9.81 m/s²

Weight= 1,931.69 N

The weight of an astronaut plus his space suit on the Earth is 1,931.69 N.