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Different planets have different gravitational field strengths at their surface - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 21 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 21
Different planets have different gravitational field strengths at their surface. Planet Gravitational field strength (N/kg) Earth 10 Mars 3.7 Venus 8.8 (a) (i)... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Different planets have different gravitational field strengths at their surface - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 21 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
On which planet's surface would an astronaut have the greatest weight?
Answer
Surface: Earth
Explanation: An astronaut would have the greatest weight on the surface of Earth because it has the highest gravitational field strength at 10 N/kg compared to Mars (3.7 N/kg) and Venus (8.8 N/kg). Weight is calculated using the formula:
Thus, the heavier gravitational force on Earth results in a greater weight for the astronaut.
Step 2
Step 3
On Earth the astronaut has a weight of 600N. Their feet have a total area of 0.3m² in contact with the ground. Calculate the pressure they exert on the ground.
Answer
To calculate the pressure exerted on the ground, we use the formula:
ext{Pressure} = rac{ ext{Force}}{ ext{Area}}
Substituting the given values:
ext{Pressure} = rac{600 ext{ N}}{0.3 ext{ m}^2} = 2000 ext{ N/m}^2
Thus, the pressure exerted by the astronaut on the ground is 2000 N/m².