The surface gravity of Jupiter is only 2.5 times larger than Earth's, despite the fact that Jupiter's mass is more than 300 times that of Earth. How can this be?
A) The radius of Jupiter is much larger than Earth's, so a point in the cloud tops of Jupiter is farther from its center.
B) The radius of Earth is 300 times smaller than the radius of Jupiter.
C) Jupiter is mostly hydrogen and helium, while Earth is mostly iron and rock.
D) Jupiter has no surface, so it does not have a surface gravity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jupiter's larger radius means that the gravitational force is spread over a larger area, reducing the surface gravity compared to what it would be if Jupiter were smaller.

The Surface Gravity of Jupiter Is Only 2