The Table gives data about four bodies in the Solar System.
Table
| Body | Mass in kg\text{kg}kg | Radius in km\text{km}km | g g\,g at the surface in N/kg\text{N/kg}N/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | 6.0 × 1024 | 6400 | 9.8 |
| Mars | 6.4 × 1023 | 3400 | 3.7 |
| Mercury | 3.3 × 1023 | 2400 | 3.7 |
| Moon | 7.3 × 1022 | 1700 | 1.6 |
A student says:
'The greater the mass of a body, the greater the value of g g\,g at its surface.'
Explain how far the data in the Table supports the student's statement.
Mars and Mercury have the same value of g g\,g at their surfaces, even though Mars has the greater mass.
Suggest why.
An astronaut has a weight of 1176 N on the surface of the Earth.
Calculate the weight of the astronaut on the surface of Mercury.
80 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 7.1 The Solar System and gravity, covering 7.1.1 Weight and g on different bodies in space, 7.1.2 The Solar System, 7.1.3 Changing ideas about the Solar System, 7.1.4 Orbits of moons, planets, comets and satellites, and 7.1.5 Gravity and orbital motion. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.