Physics (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118486897
ISBN 13: 978-1-11848-689-4

Chapter 4 - Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion - Problems - Page 114: 30

Answer

The space traveler will weigh $405N$ on that planet.

Work Step by Step

Take the mass of the traveler to be $m$. For Earth's mass $M$, Earth's radius $r$ and gravitation constant $G$, the weight of the traveler is $$W_E=G\frac{mM}{r^2}=540N$$ On another planet with mass $3M$ and radius $2r$, the weight of the traveler is $$W_P=G\frac{m3M}{(2r)^2}=\frac{3}{4}G\frac{mM}{r^2}=\frac{3}{4}W_E$$ $$W_P=405N$$
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