Physics (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118486897
ISBN 13: 978-1-11848-689-4

Chapter 5 - Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion - Check Your Understanding - Page 135: 12

Answer

(a) The true weight of a person on the moon is less than the true of weight of that person on earth. (b) The apparent weight of a person in orbit around the moon is equal to the apparent weight of that person around the earth.

Work Step by Step

We have $g_{earth}=6g_{moon}$ (a) Since $W=mg$, the true weight of a person on the moon is less than the true of weight of that person on earth. (b) When a person orbits either the earth or the moon, they are in fact freely falling towards the center of the planet, meaning their apparent weight equals $0$. So the apparent weight of a person in orbit around the moon is equal to the apparent weight of that person around the earth.
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