Applet: Your Weight on Other Planets

Module 4: The Planets

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Using the Applet:

This applet has been designed so that students are able to investigate weights on other planets. It is suggested that students begin by viewing planetary data and then making educated guesses as to their weight on the various planets. The students can then be asked to input their mass, and will use the calculate button to show their actual weights on the different planets.

The goal of this applet is to address the misconception that the size and mass of a planet are the only contributing factors to weights on other planets. While mass is an important factor, the density of a planet will also affect weight. This is why a student would still weigh more on Earth than they would on Saturn and Uranus despite the large masses of those planets.

Students may also wish to review the Planets Data Table or the Quick Fact Data Sheets while making their guesses.