A newly designed lunar rover is being tested in a facility on Earth. The rover has a measu… — Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

A newly designed lunar rover is being tested in a facility on Earth. The rover has a measured downward weight of $4500 \text{ N}$ . Assuming the acceleration due to gravity on Earth is $10 \text{ m/s}^2$ , what is the mass of the rover in kilograms?

Answer: 450 kg

Answer

The mass of the rover is 450 kg.

Mass represents the amount of matter in an object and is found by dividing its weight (the force of gravity acting upon it) by the local gravitational acceleration. Using the formula

m = \frac{W}{g}

, substituting

4500 \text{ N}

for

W

and

10 \text{ m/s}^2

for

g

yields exactly

450 \text{ kg}

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the given variables for weight and gravity.

W = 4500 \text{ N}

g = 10 \text{ m/s}^2

These are the necessary components to determine the object's mass.

State the relationship between weight and mass.

W = m \times g

This is Newton's Second Law applied to the force of gravity.

Rearrange the formula to isolate mass (

m

m = \frac{W}{g}

We need to solve for the unknown variable, mass.

Substitute the values and divide.

m = \frac{4500}{10} = 450

Performing the arithmetic gives the amount of matter inside the rover.

Key Concept

Weight is the gravitational force exerted on an object, calculated as the product of its mass and local gravitational acceleration (

W = mg

). Mass is an invariant property that can be found by dividing weight by gravity.

Estimated Time:45s

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