How much does the lunar month weigh?C Stuart Hardwick :
Nothing .
Okay , I ’m being a bit academic . The mass of the synodic month , which might be what you intend to ask , is approximately 7.3476× 10 ^ 22 kilograms .
But the moon doesn’tweighanything .
Weight is directly tie in to mass , but it ’s not the same thing as mass ( even through we call unit of weighting and mass by the same name ) . Weight is the force exerted by gravity against a eubstance stay against a larger mass . The moon is in freefall — in orbit — so it does n’t weigh anything . If it were rank on the Earth’s surface of the Earth , it would matter about 7.3476 × 10 ^ 22 kilograms — but only for a moment . Then it would collapse under its own weight and become a rather disastrous pimple on the Earth until it broke through the crust .
That would be a bad day .
But fortunately , there is no naturalistic way that could ever encounter . The moon is in domain , which imply it ’s falling toward Earth ( which is why it does n’t “ find ” our somberness — it ’s weightless ) , but it ’s also coast away into blank such that for every metre it fall toward us , it moves far enough for Earth ’s surface to curve away one meter . Therefore , like any orbiting body , it goes round and circular and round .
This weight versus mass affair fuddle a circle of sept because in conversational English we use pounds and kilogram for both measurements of weight and plenty . That is because we figured all this hooey out on Earth , where it was simple and practical to measure volume by measuring weight .
In other words , because we are earthlings , we delimit units of mass as equal to the observed units of system of weights as measured on Earth .
If you wish science , you might like my free , awarding - winningsci - fi sampler .
This military post to begin with appeared on Quora . chatter here to view .
