If a space rover has a mass of 3900 kg on Earth, then what is
its mass when it lands on Mars?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The mass of an object remains constant regardless of its location in the universe, whether on Earth, Mars, or anywhere else. This is because mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, which does not change with location.
Therefore, the mass of the rover on Mars is the same as it is on Earth: 3900 kg.
Explanation:
Mass is an intrinsic property of matter, meaning it is independent of external forces like gravity. It is a scalar quantity, and unlike weight, it does not change depending on where the object is located.
Weight, on the other hand, is the force exerted by gravity on an object, and it depends on the local gravitational field strength. The weight of an object can vary depending on where it is because the gravitational pull of different celestial bodies (such as Earth and Mars) is different. For example, the gravity on Mars is about 0.38 times that of Earth’s gravity, meaning an object would weigh less on Mars than on Earth.
The formula for weight is:
[
\text{Weight} = \text{Mass} \times \text{Gravitational Force}
]
On Earth, the gravitational force is approximately (9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2), and on Mars, it is about (3.7 \, \text{m/s}^2).
However, the mass is not affected by this difference in gravitational force. So, regardless of whether the rover is on Earth or Mars, its mass remains 3900 kg.
In conclusion, even though the rover’s weight would differ on Mars compared to Earth due to the difference in gravity, the mass stays constant at 3900 kg.