Gravity of Mars

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gravity-of-mars

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the average gravitational acceleration?3.728 m/s²
2. What is the surface gravity relative to earth?Approximately 0.38 g
3. What is the gravity of Mars like compared to Earth?Mars's gravity feels like a gentle hug, so you would bounce higher than on Earth.
4. Why does Mars have gravity variations?Because the height and density of mountains, canyons, and deep interior flows change the pull of gravity at different places.

Gravity Anomaly: A deviation of the measured gravitational field from the expected value for a uniform body.
Isostasy: The equilibrium of the lithosphere floating on the asthenosphere, influencing gravity based on topography and density.
Spherical Harmonics: A mathematical technique used to represent complex, non-uniform fields like gravity on a sphere.
Tidal Deformation: The physical distortion of a celestial body caused by the gravitational pull of another body.