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Physics: Weighing the Earth?
Suppose you needed to weigh the Earth:
Take a 10-pound table out of your kitchen and place it in space. Now place an "Earth-weighing" scale on the table and put the Earth on top.
How much does the Earth weigh?
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Update: Can you actually _do_ this experiment?
Answer: put the scale on the floor and turn the table over so it rests on the scale. Then stand on your head and read the scale. The scale measures the mutual gravitational attraction between the Earth and the table, so the weight of the Earth on the table is exactly equal--by definition--to the weight of the table on the Earth.
Almost 75% of my college Engineering Physics class missed that question.
5 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
You wouldn't be able to place it on the table, because weight is defined from gravity and mass. The table would just be pulled towards the earth as expected.
But, the mass is of the earth is 5.9736×1024 KG. Since we know gravity, we can simply use equations like F = G * M1 * M2 / R2 to find how much the Earth weighs.
- 1 decade ago
I'm not sure exactly as I'm aspiring to be a physics major, but I would think the Earth would not be pushing down on the scale. I think the scale would measure the Earth's gravitational attraction of the 10 pound table which would depend on the table's distance from the Earth.
- Anonymous4 years ago
Draw a stress diagram. Your weight on earth would be the organic stress (pushing you upwards). Use F=ma in the vertical course to locate your mass. undergo in suggestions that a=v^2/r Fn-mg=mv^2/r Fn=mg locate m. m is your mass. Then, locate the "g" of Ganymede. Use the universal regulation of gravity alongside with F=ma.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Depends on from where you're weighing it. If you weigh it by the sun's gravity it will be very heavy. By the moon's gravity it will be much less. Remember, weight and mass aren't the same thing. Weight is mass in gravity.
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- jon144auLv 61 decade ago
it will weigh "1 earth" less 10lbs
You can't really weigh the earth, because weighing depends on gravity... you can find the mass of the earth however (5.9736 × 10^24 kg), because the mass never changes, no matter where you weigh it.