• Question: How much does the earth weigh?

    Asked by AndrewM on 4 Nov 2020. This question was also asked by HawwyG.
    • Photo: Mohammed Taj-Eldin

      Mohammed Taj-Eldin answered on 4 Nov 2020: last edited 4 Nov 2020 4:17 pm

      I can give the exact number but if it would not be very fun thing to learn.
      What I will encourage you is to think how you can calculate the weight of the earth?

      First, the weight of any object equals its mass multiplied by the gravity.
      The gravity (G) is a constant: 6.67 × 10-11 Newtons kg^(-2) m^2. So, if you figure out what is the mass of the earth, you can calculate its weight!

      One idea is to utilize science and use the formula that calculate the Force (F) between two objects separated by distance (r) between their centers as a function of their masses: m1 and m2.

      F = (G * m1 * m2)/r^2
      If you conduct a simple experiment by carrying an object with a known mass (m1) placed at a distance that is roughly equal to the radius of the Earth plus the distance from the object the ground floor, then you can calculate the Force (F) by using a Newton Spring Scale. Then, you can calculate the mass of the Earth (m2)!
      Then, from m2, you can calculate the weight of the Earth = G * m2.
      I would encourage to watch this video to get the idea:

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