KCL Section 1: Weight (Materials)

Question 1

The surface gravity of Mars is 3.7 Nkg-1. Calculate the weight of the 30 kg Beagle 2:
A) on the Earth before launch.
B) on the surface of Mars.

Answer 1

294.3N

111N

Question 2

In December 1995, a probe launched from NASA’s Galileo satellite plunged into Jupiter’s atmosphere. Its weight on Earth was 3.4 kN. Jupiter’s gravity is about 23 Nkg-1.
What was the probe’s mass?
What was its weight as it hurtled to destruction on Jupiter?

Answer 2

346. 6kg

7971. 5N

Question 3

Galileo’s historic 14-year mission came to an end in September 2003 when NASA deliberately crashed it into Jupiter (to prevent the probe infecting any moons with bacteria that may have survived on board). The orbiter’s mass was 2380 kg.
What was the orbiter’s weight on Earth?
What would its weight have been falling into Jupiter?

Answer 3

23347.5N

54740N