Your Weight on Other Worlds

Purpose of the Lab

1.) To calculate weight in other places in our solar system.

2.) To determine if there is a relationship between distance from the sun and weight on each planet.

3.) To determine if there is a relationship between relative mass of a planet and weight on each planet.

Materials Needed

• calculator • pen or pencil

• colored pencils

• Ruler (optional)

Procedures

1. Have one confident person share their weight. Write that number for “Weight on Earth ____”

2. Multiply that weight by the conversion numbers to find your weight on other planets.

(L) Your Weight on Other WorldsList the planets in order from where you are the lightest to

where you are the heaviest:

Graph 2. Relative masses of the planets

Analysis:1. Look at Graph 1. How does the location of a planet affect

how much you will weigh?

2. Look at Graph 2. How does the relative mass of a planet affect how much you will weigh?

3. Write 1-3 sentences describing what you now know about weight.

Your Weight on Other Worlds (R)

What do I know about weight?

Table 1. Weights on other worlds. Weight on Earth: _____

Graph 1. Distance from the sun vs. Weight

Relative Mass

Conversion Number

Weight In Pounds

Mercury (Me)0.06 0.378

Venus (V) 0.82 0.907

Earth (E) 1.0 1.0

Mars (Ma) 0.11 0.377

Jupiter (J) 317.8 2.364

Saturn (S) 95.2 0.916

Uranus (U) 14.5 0.889

Neptune (N) 17.1 1.125

Relationship?Yes/ No

Me V E Ma J S U N

Relationship?Yes/ No

Graph 1: Distance from the sun vs Weight

Me V E Ma J S U N

Graph 1: Distance from the sun vs Weight

Me V E Ma J S U N

Example: 100 pounds on Earth.On Mercury, they would weigh 37.8 pounds

40

80

120

160

Graph 1: Distance from the sun vs Weight

Me V E Ma J S U N

Example: 100 pounds on Earth.On Mercury, they would weigh 37.8 poundsOn Venus, they would weigh 90.7

40

80

120

160

(L) Your Weight on Other WorldsList the planets in order from where you are the lightest to

where you are the heaviest:

Graph 2. Relative masses of the planets

Analysis:1. Look at Graph 1. How does the location of a planet affect

how much you will weigh?

2. Look at Graph 2. How does the relative mass of a planet affect how much you will weigh?

3. Write 1-3 sentences describing what you now know about weight.

Your Weight on Other Worlds (R)

What do I know about weight?

Table 1. Weights on other worlds. Weight on Earth: _____

Graph 1. Distance from the sun vs. Weight

Relative Mass

Conversion Number

Weight In Pounds

Mercury (Me)0.06 0.378

Venus (V) 0.82 0.907

Earth (E) 1.0 1.0

Mars (Ma) 0.11 0.377

Jupiter (J) 317.8 2.364

Saturn (S) 95.2 0.916

Uranus (U) 14.5 0.889

Neptune (N) 17.1 1.125

Relationship?Yes/ No

Me V E Ma J S U N

Relationship?Yes/ No

List planets in order…

Lightest on : __________

…

Heaviest on: ___________

List planets in order…

• Lightest on : Mars

• Mercury

• Uranus

• Venus

• Saturn

• Earth

• Neptune

• Jupiter

Graph 1: Relative Masses of the Planets

Ma Me U V E S N J

Our Weight Increases

Graph 1: Relative Masses of the Planets

Ma Me U V E S N J

Our Weight Increases

1

20

50

100

200

300

400

These numbers make it really hard to find a scale…

so we will break them up this way

These numbers make it really hard to find a scale…

so we will break them up this way

Graph 1: Relative Masses of the Planets

Ma Me U V S E N J

Our Weight Increases

1

20

50

100

200

300

400

Graph 1: Relative Masses of the Planets

Ma Me U V S E N J

Our Weight Increases

1

20

50

100

200

300

400

(L) Your Weight on Other WorldsList the planets in order from where you are the lightest to

where you are the heaviest:

Graph 2. Relative masses of the planets

Analysis:1. Look at Graph 1. How does the location of a planet affect

how much you will weigh?

2. Look at Graph 2. Circle the bar(s) that seem out of place. How does the relative mass of a planet affect how much you will weigh?

3. Write 2-3 sentences describing what you now know about weight and gravity.

Your Weight on Other Worlds (R)

What do I know about weight?

Table 1. Weights on other worlds. Weight on Earth: _____

Graph 1. Distance from the sun vs. Weight

Relative Mass

Conversion Number

Weight In Pounds

Mercury (Me)0.06 0.378

Venus (V) 0.82 0.907

Earth (E) 1.0 1.0

Mars (Ma) 0.11 0.377

Jupiter (J) 317.8 2.364

Saturn (S) 95.2 0.916

Uranus (U) 14.5 0.889

Neptune (N) 17.1 1.125

Relationship?Yes/ No/ Maybe

Me V E Ma J S U N

Relationship?Yes/ No/ Maybe