weight

The force exerted on an object with mass by a gravitational field, such as that of a planet. Weight is experienced as a reaction to this force against a solid surface. Although the mass of an object is independent of location, its weight varies depending on the strength of the local gravitational field.

Weight is given by the product of mass (m) and the acceleration due to gravity (g), that is: W = mg. Use the table below to figure out how much you woulld weigh on another planet of the solar system or the Moon: simply multiply your weight by the conversion factor. (Note: The gas giants, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, don't have solid surfaces, so the values shown pretend that they do.)

Weight on other worlds
Place	Conversion factor	Weight of a person whose mass is 60 kg (132 lb) on Earth
Moon	× 0.166	99.6 N
Mercury	× 0.378	226.8 N
Venus	× 0.907	544.2 N
Earth	-	600 N
Mars	× 0.377	226.2 N
Jupiter	× 2.36	1416.0 N
Saturn	× 0.916	549.6 N
Uranus	× 0.889	533.4 N
Neptune	× 1.12	672.0 N
Pluto	× 0.059	35.4 N

Related categories

   • GRAVITATIONAL PHYSICS
   • CLASSICAL MECHANICS
   • SPACE AND TIME

Also on this site:

Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History

BACK TO TOP