Why do you weigh less on the Moon than on Earth?

Weight is the product of an object's mass and the dominant gravitational field that it feels. On Earth, objects feel a gravitational acceleration which is dependent on the mass of the earth and its rotational motion. On the moon, these forces are reduced since the moon is much smaller in size. Therefore objects technically 'weigh' less, but not lose any mass.

NM
Answered by Nicky M. Physics tutor

14735 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How can an object accelerate without changing speed?


If a boy is stationary on a skateboard and jumps off forwards, why does the skateboard move backwards?


a) A car weighs 1500kg, if it is travelling at 7m/s, how much kinetic energy does it have?


Explain why a smoke alarm works by emitting and detecting alpha radiation instead of gamma or beta radiation.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning