ScienceFreePrintable

Gravity on Planets Worksheet

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Gravity on Planets Worksheet

You are checking the gravity data for a crew planning a journey through the Solar System. Use the data table and the relationship weight = mass × gravitational field strength (W = mg). Give weight in newtons (N), mass in kilograms (kg), and gravitational field strength in newtons per kilogram (N/kg). Assume the values in the table are approximate.

World

g (N/kg)

Compared with Earth

Moon

1.6

—

Mars

3.7

—

Earth

9.8

1.00

Jupiter

24.8

—

Part A — Read the data

First, get to know the gravity values before calculating the crew’s weights.

1.Put the Moon, Mars, Earth and Jupiter in order from weakest to strongest surface gravitational field strength. Use the data table.

2.A crew member says, “My mass is 70 N.” Identify the error and write the correct unit for mass.

3.A 60 kg equipment case is weighed on Mars, where g = 3.7 N/kg. Calculate its weight on Mars. Show the relationship and substitution.

4.A person has a mass of 75 kg. Calculate their weight on the Moon, where g = 1.6 N/kg. Include the unit.

5.A 50 kg science instrument is taken to Jupiter, where g = 24.8 N/kg. Calculate its weight there.

6.A 70 kg astronaut travels from Earth to Mars. Calculate the astronaut’s weight on Earth and on Mars, then state how much their weight changes. Use g = 9.8 N/kg on Earth and 3.7 N/kg on Mars.

7.A rover sample has a measured weight of 444 N on Mars. Given Mars’ gravitational field strength of 3.7 N/kg, calculate the sample’s mass.

8.“If an object is moved from Earth to the Moon, its mass decreases because the Moon’s gravity is weaker.” Decide whether this statement is true or false, then explain.

9.A mission poster claims that a 40 kg tool weighs 392 N on Earth and 64 N on the Moon. Use the data to check both figures and explain whether they are correct.

10.In two or three sentences, explain why an astronaut’s weight changes between planets while their mass stays the same. Use the terms mass, weight and gravitational field strength.