How to Find the Weight for a Person on Earth

Although determining the weight of a person on Earth is seemingly as simple as weighing them on a scale, it also is an important principle in earth science that a person's weight varies from planet to planet, depending on the gravitational force. Therefore, finding a person's weight -- on Earth as well as on other planets -- makes for a valuable lesson in science class.

Things You'll Need

  • Mass balance
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Instructions

    • 1

      Weigh the person on a mass balance. Explain to your students that a person's mass, defined as the sum of that person's particles, is a property that will not change from planet to planet.(However, mass will change if they eat too much or go on a diet, etc.!).

    • 2

      Multiply the person's mass by the acceleration due to gravity, 9.8 m/s2, to obtain their weight on Earth.

    • 3

      Illustrate how weight changes among different planets by multiplying the acceleration due to gravity on other planets by the person's mass.

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