Suppose you are suddenly transported to a planet with one-fourth the mass of Earth but the same radius as Earth.Your weight would ________ by a factor of ________.
A) increase; 4
B) increase; 16
C) decrease; 4
D) decrease; 16

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Your weight on a planet is determined by the gravitational force exerted on you by the planet, which depends on both your mass and the planet's mass. If the planet has one-fourth the mass of Earth but the same radius, the gravitational force (and thus your weight) would decrease because the force is directly proportional to the mass of the planet. Since the mass is one-fourth of Earth's, the decrease factor is 4.

Suppose You Are Suddenly Transported to a Planet with One-Fourth