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Value of g on Moon

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Last updated date: 27th Mar 2024
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The acceleration that a freely falling object experiences due to the gravitational force of a large body is known as acceleration due to gravity. It is measured in m/s2 and expressed as g.


The value of g is determined by the mass of the huge body and its radius. It varies according to the body. The value of g is constant on the Moon.


g is referred to as acceleration due to gravity. It is defined as the constant acceleration produced in a body when it freely falls under the effect of gravity alone.

 

The SI unit of ‘g’ is m/s2

 

It is a vector quantity and is directed towards the center of the earth.

 

Where G is the universal gravitational constant and its value = 6.673 x 10-11 N m2 Kg-2

 

             M = Earth’s mass = 6 x 1024 kg

 

             r  = radius of the earth = 6 kg

 

 The value of g on earth is calculated by using the formula:

 

                g = GM/r2

 

                g = 6.673 x 10-11 x 6 x 1024 / (6)2

 

                 g = 9.8 ms-2                                  

 

 Value of Gravity  

The Gravity of Earth is denoted by g.

 

It is the net acceleration that is transmitted to bodies due to the combined effect of gravitation and the centrifugal force (from the Earth's rotation).

 

Its value near the earth's surface is approx 9.8 ms-2

 

Ignoring the factors like air resistance and speed of the object and considering the body to be free falling under the influence of gravity.

 

(Image to be added soon)

 

Value of g

The Table Below Shows The Value of g At Different Locations From Center of Earth

 

Location Above Earth’s Surface

Distance from Earth’s Center (m)

g(ms-2)

1000 km above 

7.38 x 106m

7.33

2000 km above

8.38 x 106m

5.68

5000 km above 

1.14 x 107 m

3.08

50000 km above

5.64 x 107 m

0.13

 

The same equation like we used for value of g on earth is used for calculating the value of g on the surface of other planets

 

The Value of g Varies In All The Planets Few of Them Are Described Below

 

Planet

Radius (m)

Mass

g (ms-22)

Mercury

2.43 x 106

3.2 x 1023

3.61

Venus

6.073 x 106

4.88 x 1024

8.83

Mars

3.38 x 106

6.42 x 1023

3.75

Saturn

5.82 x 107

5.68 x 1026

11.2

Neptune

2.27 x 107

1.03 x 1026

13.3

Pluto

1.15 x 106

1.2 x 1022

0.61

 

Hence, the value of g varies at different places.

 

Value of g and its Derivation

SI unit of g = m/s2


It’s the vector quantity that points to the center of the Earth.


G = Universal Gravitational Constant


Its value is 6.673 x 10-11N m2 Kg-2


M = Earth’s mass 


     = 6 x 1024 kg


r = radius of the earth 


   = 6 kg


Hence, the formula for calculating the value of g on Earth is:


g = GM/r2


g = 6.673 x 10-11 x 6 x 1024 / (6)2


g = 9.8 ms-2


Value of g on the Moon

The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon is called the Moon gravity.

 

Now, for calculating the value of g on the Moon, the mass of the Moon and earth is to be considered.


The mass of the Moon is 1.2% of the mass of the earth which is equal to 7.342 x 1022 kg.


Now, the radius of the Moon = 1.74 x 106 m


Since the formula is 


g = GM/r2


Now, putting all the values of G, we can get:


= 6.673 x 10-11 x 7.342 x 1022 /(1.74 x 106 )2


Hence, g(Moon) = 1.625 ms-2


The value of Moon’s gravity = 1.62 ms-2

 

Therefore, value of g(Moon) = \[\frac {1} {6}\] or 16.7% of g(earth’s surface)


Hence, it can be said that the gravity of the Moon is 5/6, or 83.33%, less than that of the Earth.

Gravity Value and Gravitational Force

It is well known that a person's weight on the Moon is one-sixth that on Earth. The explanation for this is that the gravitational force on the Moon is 6 times less than that on Earth. It's 1.625 ms-2. The weight is also directly based on gravitational acceleration.


The Moon, like all huge objects in the Universe, gravitationally attracts all other massive bodies. Since it is significantly less massive than Earth, the Moon's surface gravity is weaker.


Do You Know?

Let’s discuss some facts related to the same:

  1. You can jump close to your height on the Moon.

  2. Suppose you fire a bullet from a M-16 rifle at a perfect angle, there are high chances that bullet may fall on the other side of the Moon or may even cross it.

  3. You can easily perform activities like backflip, sidekick, 400 560 kicks and so many acrobatics without getting hurt.

  4. You can easily perform acrobatic exercises like somersaults without belly flops, provided there’s a pool on the Moon, because you’ll have a lot of time to adjust or position yourself for the perfect jump while you are in the air.

  5. You can beat Ankita Sharma’s long jump record (8.19 meters) in a single try.

FAQs on Value of g on Moon

1. Write some facts about the Moon.

 Some proven facts of the Moon are:

  1. The surface of the Moon is usually dark.

  2. The Moon makes the earth and tides move.

  3. The Moon was made when the rock size of Mars struck the earth.

2. At what height gravity is zero?

Since the value of gravity decreases with height and we would get the value of g  as zero at a height of one half of the Earth’s radius

            i.e., 9.8 ms-2 per 3200 km.

3. Can You Jump Off The Moon?

Yes, we can jump off the Moon. Though we can jump very high on the Moon. In order to jump off the Moon, you need to travel as fast as 2 kilometers per second to escape from the Moon’s surface.

4. What Is The Temperature On The Moon?

During the daytime, one side of the moon lasts about 13.5 days and has 13.5 days of darkness during half nights. 

When sunlight hits its surface, the temperature can reach 260° F (127° C) and when the sun goes down, the temperature reduces to - 280° F (- 173° C).

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