answersLogoWhite

0

Yes! If we think of the large scheme of things beyond the massive body that we call home, earth, we find that two equal masses having the same weight is a very special case. The situation of equal masses having different weights is actually more ubiquitous in the universe. weight is a measure of the gravitational attraction of an object to a very massive object such as a planet. If you buy two 1 kg basketballs they both have the same mass. you can now place these balls on any massive body in the solar system (an asteroid, the moon, Jupiter, earth, etc.). In any situation the weight of the ball is given by the following equation:

F=GmM/d^2

G is the gravitational constant, 6.673*10^-11

m is the mass of the Basketball

M is the mass of the larger body

d is the distance between the ball and the center of the massive body

The weight of basket ball 1 is given by: F1=Gm1M1/d1^2

The weight of basketball 2 is given by: F2=Gm2M2/d2^2

In the special case when these forces are equal to each other (F1=F2=F) and when the masses of the basketballs are also equal to each other (m1=m2=m) we have the following:

GmM2/d2^2=GmM1/d1^2.

We can now simplify the equation by canceling out the "Gm" on each side.

M2/d2^2=M1/d1^2

This equation means that two basketballs will have the same weight only when the ratio of the mass of the large body that they are attracted and the square of the distance between the basketballs and the center of the massive body are the same for both balls. This tells us three things:

1) If two objects with the same mass are on different massive bodies (e.g. the earth vs the moon) than their weights will be different so long as the ratio M2/d2^2 on one large body (e.g. the earth) is not equal to the ratio (M1/d1^2) on the other large body (e.g. the moon)

2) If two objects of equal mass are on the same large body (e.g. earth), then they will have different weights if the distance between the objects and the center of the large body (earth) are different for both objects. This means that a basket ball on top of mount Everest weighs just a bit LESS than a basketball in the dead sea basin.

3) If two objects of equal mass have the same distance to the center of the massive bodies that attract them, then they have different weights unless the masses of both of the large bodies are the same.

Note: for simplicity the massive bodies in this discussion were assumed to have a homogeneous density throughout their volumes. If this were not the case then their would be an even larger number of situations for which two small masses can have different weights.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Physics

Does a small object always have less mass than a larger object?

Not necessarily. The size of an object is not directly proportional to its mass. For example, a small object made of dense material could have more mass than a larger object made of less dense material.


How can and object with little mass be denser than an object with more mass?

Density is the mass of an object divided by its volume. An object with little mass but a very small volume can still have a high density because density is a measure of how much mass is packed into a given volume. Conversely, an object with more mass but a larger volume might have a lower density because the mass is spread out over a larger area.


Would an object with a larger mass have more kinetic energy than an object with a smaller mass?

Yes, an object with a larger mass would have more kinetic energy than an object with a smaller mass if they are moving at the same speed. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass and speed, so a larger mass would contribute to a greater amount of kinetic energy, assuming the speed is constant.


Can something small have more thermal energy than something big?

Yes, a small object can have more thermal energy than a larger object if it has a higher temperature. Thermal energy is directly proportional to temperature, so even though the larger object has more mass, the smaller object could have a higher temperature and therefore more thermal energy.


Can a small object have more density than a large object?

Yes, a small object can have more density than a large object if the small object has more mass compared to its volume. Density is calculated as mass per unit volume, so an object with greater mass and smaller volume will have higher density.

Related Questions

Does a small object always have less mass than a larger object?

Not necessarily. The size of an object is not directly proportional to its mass. For example, a small object made of dense material could have more mass than a larger object made of less dense material.


How can and object with little mass be denser than an object with more mass?

Density is the mass of an object divided by its volume. An object with little mass but a very small volume can still have a high density because density is a measure of how much mass is packed into a given volume. Conversely, an object with more mass but a larger volume might have a lower density because the mass is spread out over a larger area.


Does the density of an object depend on its size?

The density of an object is directly correlated with the amount of mass contained in the object. For example, a small object containing a large amount of mass has more density than a larger object with a smaller amount of mass.


Do larger object weighs more than smaller object?

Not necessarily. Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object, so it depends on the mass of the object. A larger object may weigh more than a smaller object if it has more mass, but size alone does not determine weight.


Would an object with a larger mass have more kinetic energy than an object with a smaller mass?

Yes, an object with a larger mass would have more kinetic energy than an object with a smaller mass if they are moving at the same speed. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass and speed, so a larger mass would contribute to a greater amount of kinetic energy, assuming the speed is constant.


Can something small have more thermal energy than something big?

Yes, a small object can have more thermal energy than a larger object if it has a higher temperature. Thermal energy is directly proportional to temperature, so even though the larger object has more mass, the smaller object could have a higher temperature and therefore more thermal energy.


Does a large object always have a greater mass than a small object?

Yes , because a large object takes up more space than a smaller object larger object has more space inside it. It will depend on if the ball is flat.


Which has more kinetic energy- A small object or a large object moving at the speed of 25 mph?

The large object moving at 25 mph would have more kinetic energy compared to the small object, assuming they have the same mass. Kinetic energy is dependent on both mass and velocity, so in this case, the larger object would have more kinetic energy due to its greater mass.


Can a small object have more density than a large object?

Yes, a small object can have more density than a large object if the small object has more mass compared to its volume. Density is calculated as mass per unit volume, so an object with greater mass and smaller volume will have higher density.


What can you infer about the volume of the object imagined with a greater mass?

If an object has a greater mass, it is likely to occupy a larger volume as mass and volume are directly related. Objects with greater mass typically have more matter, which requires more space, leading to a larger volume.


If the mass is larger is the inertia larger or smaller?

If the mass is larger, the inertia is larger as well. Inertia is the property of an object that resists changes in its state of motion, and it is directly proportional to mass. Therefore, an increase in mass results in an increase in inertia, making it more difficult to change the object's motion.


How does the mass an object affect it acceleration?

When an object is falling in a gravity field, its mass does not affect its acceleration. If under the influence of friction then it takes more energy to accelerate it the larger mass it has, here on Earth. The larger the mass the more potential it has to do work if it is above the surface of the earth than a smaller mass. But in turn, to get it to the higher point more work must be done for a larger mass than a smaller mass.