Question

A woman has a mass of 55 kg.

a. What is her weight while standing on earth?

b. What are her mass and her weight on Mars, where g = 3.76 m/s2 ?

Short answer

a. $W_1=539.55N$

b.$W_2=206.8N$

Step-by-step solution

Content Introduction

Inertia is a fundamental feature of all matter, and mass is a quantitative measure of it. It is, in effect, a body of matter's resistance to a change in speed or position caused by the application of a force. The smaller the change caused by an applied force, the larger the mass of the body.

Explanation (Part a)

We are given:

$$\begin{gathered} g_2=3.76m/s^2 \\ m=55kg \end{gathered}$$

The weight of body is equal to:

$$\begin{gathered} W_1=m.g \\ {W}_1=55kg(9.81m/s^2) \\ {W}_1=539.55N \end{gathered}$$

Explanation (Part b)

The mass of the body does not change wherever the body is at.

$$\begin{gathered} m=55kg \\ {W}_2=m\times g_2 \\ {W}_2=55kg(3.76m/s^2) \\ {W}_2=206.8N \end{gathered}$$