What do You Weigh on Different Planets, and Why?

Can the truth change? Absolutely. See, while truth can sometimes be concrete, sometimes it’s a matter of perception or context.

For example, I weigh about 205 pounds. That’s a true statement.

But that number can change over time, right? That’s also a true statement.

But did you know that it also changes depending on where exactly you are in the universe?

If I were to snap my fingers and appear on the surface of Mars, I would no longer weigh 205 pounds.

If you’ve followed this series for a while, you know that’s because weight isn’t exactly what it seems. Your weight is a force.

The very definition of matter is something that has mass and takes up space. Just like how you matter, you ARE matter. All of your matter added together is your mass. Throw gravity into the mix and you get your weight.

To be more scientific, your weight is your mass in kilograms times the acceleration of gravity on earth which is 9.8 m/s^2.

And just like how force is measured in Newtons, so is weight.

But how does gravity change elsewhere in the universe, and what kind of effect does it have on your weight?

I’ve gone ahead and calculated my weight on the other planets in our solar system, and decided to place them in order from least to greatest. Check it out!

Notice anything? As my weight increases, so does the radius (therefore size) of the planets — with one exception.

Uranus and Neptune are nearly the same size, so why do I weigh so much less on Uranus? Well, that’s because radius is only one part of the equation. Common knowledge tells us that just because something is big doesn’t mean it’s also heavy, and just because something is small doesn’t mean it’s also light. Exercise weights are small, but heavy. A beach ball is bigger than a basketball, but lighter.

Uranus is less dense than Neptune. It has far less mass. And because it has less mass, it has less gravity. Less gravity equals less weight.

So, there you have it. There are certain things in this life that aren’t always as they appear. Sometimes the truth, or our idea of the truth, changes. That’s where science comes in. Figuring out the “how’s” and “why’s” of the universe, and everyone has it within themselves to do exactly that.