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
Mars
b
Earth
c
Venus
d
Mercury
To determine the planet a person is standing on, we need to calculate the acceleration due to gravity on each planet.
Using the formula weight = mass x acceleration due to gravity, we can rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration due to gravity:
acceleration due to gravity = weight / mass
For each planet, we can substitute the given weight and mass values:
a) acceleration due to gravity on planet a = 305 N / 85.0 kg
b) acceleration due to gravity on Earth = 305 N / 85.0 kg
c) acceleration due to gravity on Venus = 305 N / 85.0 kg
d) acceleration due to gravity on Mercury = 305 N / 85.0 kg
Since all the planets have the same weight and mass, the acceleration due to gravity will be the same for all of them.
Therefore, a person is standing on Earth. The correct answer is b.