Man’s fascination with the moon started a long, long time ago when the first man spotted a glowing white orb illuminating the night sky. Ever since then, the moon has been an important part of our folklore and mythologies. In the 20th century, man’s obsession with the moon reached a new peak when Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. Today, you can even buy a piece of land on the moon. In future, we might even colonize the moon!
Before we start dreaming of living on the moon, there are few major differences between the earth and the moon that we need to understand. Apart from the obvious lack of oxygen on the moon, we need to consider the difference between earth’s gravity and moon’s gravity.
What is Gravity?
There is always a force attraction between any two objects. Depending upon the mass of the objects and the distance between them, the force of attraction may vary. This force is called gravity or gravitational force. If the mass of an object is enormous then the gravitational force with which it attracts another object close to it will be great.
How is Gravitational force calculated?
The gravitational force between two objects can be calculated by using the formula:
F= G (M1 x M2)
_____________
2
Where F = Force of gravity/Gravitational Force
G = Gravitational Constant. The value of G is always 6.673×10-11 N m2 kg-2
M1 = Mass of first object
M2 = Mass of second object
r = distance between the centres of two objects
Why do objects weigh less on moon compared to earth?
If someone asks me tips for reducing body weight, I would jokingly suggest them to live on the moon. It is a well-known fact that the weight of a person on the moon is considerably lesser to compared to his/her weight on the earth. To understand why objects weigh lighter on moon compared to earth, we need to know the difference between mass and weight.
It is to be noted that I mentioned the mass of the objects and not their weight while explaining gravity. Mass is the amount of matter an object contains and it will remain constant whereas weight of an object is the gravitational force with which the object is pulled down. Since the gravitational force of the moon is lesser than that of the earth, objects weigh lighter on the moon. In space, astronauts experience the phenomenon of weightlessness because there is no gravity to pull them down.
Why is there a difference between earth and moon’s gravity?
It has been clearly established that the gravitational force of the earth is greater than that of the moon. But why is there a difference between the earth and the moon’s gravity? The answer to this question is fairly simple.
We had learned earlier that force of gravity is directly proportional to the mass of the objects. When you compare the earth’s mass with respect to the moon’s mass, you will find that the earth has a far greater mass. Thus, the earth has greater gravitational pull compared to the moon.
In conclusion, I would like to say that saving the resources on earth and preserving our planet is a much simpler way to sustain human race than colonizing the moon or the mars! On that thought-provoking note, I will take your leave!
