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 119: 105

Answer

The space traveler's mass is always $115kg$ no matter where he is. On earth, his weight is $1127N$, but in space where there are no nearby planetary objects, his weight is $0$

Work Step by Step

1) Mass is always constant. Therefore, either on earth or anywhere else in space, the traveler's mass is always $115kg$. 2) On earth, gravitational acceleration $g=9.8m/s^2$. Therefore, the weight of the traveler is $$mg=115\times9.8=1127N$$ The presence of gravitational acceleration requires at least an attractive force from one body nearby. In other words, in space where there are no nearby planetary objects, gravitational acceleration $g=0$ Thus, the weight of the traveler will be $0$.
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