Can a bigger planet have less gravity?

Can a bigger planet have less gravity?

I bring this up because a planet with certain characteristics (i.e. much bigger and yet less massive) will have a weaker gravitational pull on its atmosphere (with the strength depending on radius and mass). Lighter gases escape easier from a given planet than do heavy gases.

Can a planet larger than Earth have the same gravity?

A rocky planet larger than Earth could theoretically have more, the same, or less gravity than Earth. Its dependent upon the density, which comes down to what the planet is made of. Gravity correlates to mass directly. The more mass something has, the more gravitational pull it will exert on things around it.

Why do some big planets have less gravity than Earth?

The Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all less massive than Earth, and therefore their gravitational force is less, because the force of gravity depends on mass. But Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all have stronger gravity than Earth because they are more massive.

How big can a terrestrial planet get?

We’ve seen that terrestrial planets can get smaller, with Mars and Mercury, and astronomers have detected larger terrestrial planets orbiting other stars. The largest known rocky planet is thought to be Gliese 436 c. This is probably a rocky world with about 5 Earth masses and 1.5 times our planet’s radius.

What planet has lower gravity than Earth?

Since Mars has less mass than Earth, the surface gravity on Mars is less than the surface gravity on Earth. The surface gravity on Mars is only about 38\% of the surface gravity on Earth, so if you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh only 38 pounds on Mars.

Do larger planets always have more gravity?

The determining factor for gravity is mass, the more mass, the stronger the gravitational field. If the composition stays the same — and that’s a VERY BIG ‘IF’, — then the bigger the planet, the stronger is gravity.

Could a planet smaller than Earth have the same gravity?

To behave the same in the solar system, the small planet would have to have the same mass as the earth, which would mean a much higher surface gravity on the smaller radius. It is impossible to have a smaller planet that has a similar gravitational force to earth both on the surface and at larger distances.

Which planets have stronger gravity than Earth?

The gravity on Jupiter is greater than the gravity on Earth because Jupiter is more massive. Although Jupiter is a great deal larger in size, its surface gravity is just 2.4 times that of the surface gravity of Earth. This is because Jupiter is mostly made up of gases.

Do terrestrial planets have more gravity?

Terrestrial planets have smaller mass and weaker gravitational force, which leads to smaller volume of space for a planet’s gravitational influence to pull more material and create a moon or just capture a moon.

Is Earth the biggest terrestrial planet?

Of the four terrestrial planets, Earth is the largest, and the only one with extensive regions of liquid water.

What is approximately the highest mass a terrestrial planet would have compared to Earth?

This, older, article in Universe Today suggests that terrestrial planets can’t form more than 5-10 Earth Masses, substantially smaller than Kepler 10c.

Does Mars have more gravity than Earth?

Do bigger planets always have greater masses?

Bigger planets don’t always have greater masses. Remember, mass and volume are related by $$M=ho \\frac{4}{3} \\pi R^3$$where $ho$is density. Make $ho$small enough and the gravity and be as weak as you like.

What is a terrestrial planet?

The basics What is a terrestrial planet? In our solar system, Earth, Mars, Mercury and Venus are terrestrial, or rocky, planets. For planets outside our solar system, those between half of Earth’s size to twice its radius are considered terrestrial and others may be even smaller.

What would happen if a planet was too big?

Lighter gases escape easier from a given planet than do heavy gases. That’s why the Earth lost any primordial hydrogen and helium envelope it might have had. Make this planet too big and you risk losing ozone. Sure, the planet would have to be pretty big (while staying at the same mass), but it could happen.

What is the least massive planet in the universe?

Discovered on 5 January 2010, a planet HD 156668 b with a minimum mass of 4.15 Earth masses, is the least massive planet detected by the radial velocity method. The only confirmed radial velocity planet smaller than this planet is Gliese 581e at 1.9 Earth masses (see above).