when interplanetary space travel becomes viable, doctors may suggest to people with arthritis that they vacation on a planet with lower gravitational attraction and do more walking.
the gravitational acceleration on earth is 9.8 m/s^2, while the gravitational acceleration on mars is 3.7m/s^2. how much less force would the vacationer be applying to their joints when walking on mars?
13.5 times less force
36.26 times less force
6.1 times less force
2.6 times less force
The force exerted on an object due to gravity is calculated by the formula F = mg, where F is the force, m is the mass of the object, and g is the gravitational acceleration.
Let's assume the mass of the person remains constant (m=1 for simplicity).
On Earth:
F = 1kg * 9.8m/s^2 = 9.8 N
On Mars:
F = 1kg * 3.7m/s^2 = 3.7 N
Therefore, the person would be applying 2.6 times less force on their joints when walking on Mars compared to Earth.
So the correct answer is:
2.6 times less force