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The Greeks about 400 BCE first determined the distance to the moon, sort of. They did this by noting the ratio of the time it took earth's shadow to cross the lunar surface to the length of time of the lunar orbit. The ratio was about 60 to 1, indicating the moon was 60 earth diameters away. The earth's diameter is about 8000 miles, so the lunar distance is roughly 240,000 miles. What the Greeks did NOT know was what the earth's diameter was, so they really didn't know, at least for about 200 years, how far away the moon REALLY was.

Finally, about 250 BCE, Eratosthenes determined the diameter of the earth, and the last bit of information fell into place.

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14y ago
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The moon has gravity, but it is not as strong as on Earth. Objects on the moon weight one sixth of their Earth weight.

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On the Earth, your weight will be about 6 times the weight on the Moon.

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Q: What is the mass of an object on earth that will weigh the same amount as if you were on the moon?
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What are the units for weight and mass?

The units used for weight and mass are the same but there is a subtle difference in the meaning. Take for instance an amount of substance that has a mass of 1kg. On earth it would weigh 1 kg. Taking the same object into space it would weigh nothing but would still have a mass of 1 kg. This is called inertial mass. Taking the object to the moon and it would still have a mass of 1 kg but would weigh about 1/6 of a kg. Weight is dependant on the gravitational field where the object is. This is a simplified explanation.


Why are mass and weight different measurments?

Well, mass is a measurement of how much matter is in an object; weight is a measurement of how hard gravity is pulling on that object. Your mass is the same wherever you are--on Earth, on the moon, floating in space--because the amount of stuff you're made of doesn't change. But your weight depends on how much gravity is acting on you at the moment; you'd weigh less on the moon than on Earth, and in interstellar space you'd weigh almost nothing at all.Mass measures the amount of something. Weight is dependent on the pull of gravity. On the moon, for example, there is less gravitational pull than on Earth, so an object that weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh less on the moon. Jupiter has a greater gravitation pull than Earth, so the object would weigh more there. Because mass is not dependent on gravity, it is just a measure of the amount of matter something is made up of, an object with a mass of 100 grams on Earth would have the same mass on the moon, and it would have the same mass anywhere else.


What is the amount of mass is in an object is it it's weight?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Weight is the force of gravity on an object.


What is the term for the amount of substance measured by a laboratory balance?

An object's mass is a measure of the amount of matter in the object compared to known masses. Mass is the measure of the amount of matter in an object.


What does the amount of kenetic energy that a moving object has depend on?

The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its mass and speed.

Related questions

What is difference between mass and weight?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object or substance. Weight is the amount of gravitational force on an object/substance. Mass will not change; the amount of matter will not fluctuate due to gravitational forces, so something that has a mass of 4 grams on earth will have a mass of 4 grams on the moon. But because the force of gravity is different, the weight of an object on the earth will weigh differently than the same object on the moon.


How would you find the mass of an object on earth?

Simple. Weigh it


The amount of gravitational attraction between the earth and an object depends on the objects distance from the earth and what else?

How close the object is. and the mass of both the object and the earth.


Is weight the amount of matter that an object occupies?

No, weight is the amount of force an object exerts on another. For example you push down on the Earth with a weight of approximately 600 Newtons whilst on the moon you would weigh less and in empty space you would weigh nothing. Mass is the amount of matter an object occupies and does not vary with your location.


How would mass and weight be similar and different in the moon and earth?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Mass is constant, regardless on the acceleration due to gravity of different planets. So, if someone were to compare their mass on Earth and on the Moon, it would be the same, because the amount of matter in object would not change. However, weight is the force of gravity pulling down on an object. If you were to weigh yourself on Earth and on the Moon, you'd weigh much less on the Moon since there is less acceleration due to gravity. Recall that acceleration due to gravity on Earth is -9.81m/s^2.


Why do scientists measure and recurd the mass of objects rather then the weight?

The mass is a characteristic of an object. The weight, i.e., the force of gravity, can vary a lot, depending on what other object attracts it. For example, an object with a mass of 1 kg will weigh 9.8 newton on Earth, about 1/6 of that amount on the Moon, and nothing if you weigh it in outer space. But the mass will hardly change.


Are mass and weight the same thing?

No. Mass is the amount of matter contained in an object. Weight is the amount of force an object experiences due to gravity. For example, a rock that weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh about 17 pounds on the moon due to the weaker gravity, but its mass would be the same.


How would you find the mass of an object by math?

-- Measure the force of attraction between the object and the earth. ("WEIGH" the object.)-- Divide the force by the acceleration of gravity.-- The answer is the mass of the object.


Why isn't the amount of matter weight?

"Amount of matter" is an informal description for mass. The relationship between mass and weight is: weight = mass x gravity The same mass can weigh more or less, depending on the strength of the gravitational field. For example, an object with a mass of 1 kg on Earth will also have a mass of 1 kg on the Moon. However, on Earth it would weigh 9.8 newton; on the Moon, about 6 times less.


What effect does gravity have on the mass of an object?

Gravity has no effect on the mass of an object. However, an object's weight is the measurement of gravitational force on the object. The gravitational force on the moon for example is ~ 1/6 of that on Earth. A 300 kg object would weigh 3000N (Newtons) on the Earth but only weigh 500 N on the Moon but its mass would still be 300 kg on the Moon and on the Earth.


Weight and mass relationship?

An object's mass is the quantity of matter that comprises it ... the total protons, neutrons, electrons, lint, moisture, dirt, wood-chips, and anything else of which the object is composed. It belongs to the object, and doesn't depend on where the object is or in what position it is, etc. An object's weight is the gravitational force between the object and any other mass. That force depends on both the object's mass and the other mass, and also on how far apart they are. An object's weight is its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity in the place where the object is located at the moment ... so it can change. For example, your weight would be FW=(your mass in kg)*(9.80m/s2) because 9.80m/s2 is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth.


What is the main difference of mass and weight?

Mass in an inherent property that any object has; it is a measurement of the amount of matter in that object. Mass remains the same no matter where the object is. Weight is a variable phenomenon because it depends upon the gravitational field that an object happens to be in, and may also depend upon the state of motion of that object. An object in orbit around the Earth can be weightless even though it has a great deal of mass. Any object will weigh much less on the moon than it does on the Earth.