The planet Jupiter is about 300 times as massive as Earth, yet on its surface you would weigh only about 3 times as much. This is because
A) your mass is 100 times less on Jupiter.
B) you are 100 times more weightless there.
C) Jupiter is significantly farther from the sun.
D) Jupiter's radius is 10 times the Earth's radius.
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jupiter's larger radius means that despite its much greater mass, the gravitational force at its surface is not as high as one might expect. The gravitational force that a body experiences on the surface of a planet depends on both the mass of the planet and the distance from the center of the planet (i.e., the radius). Since Jupiter's radius is significantly larger than Earth's, the surface gravity is not 300 times greater than Earth's, but only about 3 times greater.

The Planet Jupiter Is About 300 Times as Massive as Earth