The table shows the acceleration due to gravity on four different planets. What planet is a person standing on if the person has a mass of 85.0 kg and weighs 305 N?
a
Venus
b
Mars
c
Earth
d
Mercury
To determine the planet that the person is standing on, we need to compare their weight (305 N) to the acceleration due to gravity on each planet.
The weight of an object can be calculated using the equation:
weight = mass * acceleration due to gravity
Given that the person has a mass of 85.0 kg, we can rearrange the equation to:
acceleration due to gravity = weight / mass
Now, we can calculate the acceleration due to gravity on each planet:
a) acceleration due to gravity = 305 N / 85.0 kg = 3.59 m/s²
Venus: 8.87 m/s²
b) acceleration due to gravity = 305 N / 85.0 kg = 3.59 m/s²
Mars: 3.71 m/s²
c) acceleration due to gravity = 305 N / 85.0 kg = 3.59 m/s²
Earth: 9.81 m/s²
d) acceleration due to gravity = 305 N / 85.0 kg = 3.59 m/s²
Mercury: 3.70 m/s²
Comparing the calculated acceleration due to gravity values to the table, we can see that the person is standing on Earth, as it has an acceleration due to gravity of 9.81 m/s². So, the answer is (c) Earth.