Jackie, Bella, and Sam are discussing gravity. Bella says that they would weigh less on the moon than on the Earth because the moon exerts less gravity than the Earth. Sam says that their mass would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth. Jackie says that her weight and mass would stay the same if she went to the moon. Who is correct? (1 point)
A. Bella is correct because the moon exerts less gravity than the Earth.
B. Sam is correct because their mass would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth.
C. Jackie is correct because weight and mass do not change based on the force of gravity.
D. Sam and Bella are BOTH correct because the moon exerts less gravity than the Earth AND their mass would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth.
C. Jackie is correct because weight and mass do not change based on the force of gravity.
To determine who is correct in their statements about gravity, we need to understand some key concepts.
First, it's important to distinguish between weight and mass. Weight is the measure of the force of gravity acting on an object, while mass is the amount of matter in an object.
Bella's statement suggests that they would weigh less on the moon than on Earth because the moon exerts less gravity. This is correct. The moon has about 1/6th the gravity of Earth, so objects on the moon weigh about 1/6th of what they weigh on Earth. Hence, Bella is correct that they would weigh less on the moon.
Sam's statement states that their mass would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth. This is also correct. Mass does not change with location. Whether on Earth or the moon, an object's mass remains the same. Therefore, Sam is correct in this regard.
Jackie's statement suggests that her weight and mass would stay the same if she went to the moon. This is incorrect. As we mentioned earlier, weight is dependent on the force of gravity. So, if Jackie were to go to the moon, her weight would be less because the moon has less gravity. However, her mass would stay the same since mass does not change.
Based on this explanation, the correct answer is D. Sam and Bella are BOTH correct because the moon exerts less gravity than the Earth AND their mass would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth.