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Finding acceleration and weight

  1. Sep 27, 2007 #1


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    On some strange planet you find that a 9.2 kg object falls downward 27.4 meters in 6.2 seconds. What is the magnitude of the accleration due to gravity on this planet? How much does the object weigh on this planet? How much would it weigh back on earth?

    2. Relevant equations

    xf = xi +vit +1/2at^2
    w= mg

    3. The attempt at a solution

    a. 27.4 m/ 6.2 s = 4.42 m/s

    27.4 = 0 + 4.42 + 1/2 a 6.2^2

    27.4 = 4.42 + 19.22a

    a= 1.195 m/s^2

    b. 1.195(9.2)

    10.99 mg(?)

    c. (1.195) (9.8 m/s)

    = 11.62 mg(?)

    I thought the units would be in mg for the weight, but it said my units were inapproriate as well.
  2. jcsd
  3. Sep 27, 2007 #2


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    Staff: Mentor

    Acceleration has units of [tex] \frac{distance}{time^2}[/tex]

    At sea level on earth, the gravitational acceleration is about 9.81 m/s2.

    would give the average velocity, not initial velocity.

    Try y = 1/2 a t2
