What would be the weight of a 59.1-kg astronaut on a planet twice as massive as Earth and having twice Earth's radius?
A) 290 N
B) 1160 N
C) 118 N
D) 580 N
E) 1200 N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force (weight) on another planet can be calculated using the formula $ F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} $, where $ G $ is the gravitational constant, $ m_1 $ is the mass of the astronaut, $ m_2 $ is the mass of the planet, and $ r $ is the radius of the planet. If a planet is twice as massive as Earth and has twice Earth's radius, the astronaut's weight would be half of what it is on Earth due to the square of the radius in the denominator. Since the astronaut's weight on Earth is $ 59.1 \times 9.8 = 579.18 $ N, half of this weight would be approximately $ 290 $ N.

What Would Be the Weight of a 59