Calculate the free fall acceleration a 69 kg person would experience while falling near the surface of each of the following planets:

Question

a. Earth (mass~5.97e24 kg) (radius~6.37e6 m)

b. Mars (mass~6.34e23 kg) (radius~3.43e6 m)

c. Jupiter (mass~1.90e27 kg) (radius~7.15e7 m)

Answer 1

a) g = GM/r² = 6.674·10^-11Nm²/kg²·5.97·10²⁴kg/(6.37·10⁶m)² = 9.82 m/s²;

b) g = GM/r² = 6.674·10^-11Nm²/kg²·6.34·10²³kg/(3.43·10⁶m)² = 3.60 m/s^2;

c) g = GM/r² = 6.674·10^-11Nm²/kg²·1.90·10²⁷kg/(7.15·10⁷m)² = 24.80 m/s²