The maximum speed you can walk on the Mars

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SUMMARY

The maximum speed at which an astronaut can walk on Mars is determined by the gravitational force and the radius of Mars. The calculations presented in the discussion yield two different speeds: 3.56 km/s using Mars' radius and 1.6 m/s using the radius of a leg. The correct approach involves using the radius of Mars (3.37x10^6 m) and applying Newton's universal gravitational constant (6.67x10^-11 Nm²/kg²) to derive the gravitational acceleration on Mars, leading to the accurate walking speed.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with gravitational force equations
  • Knowledge of Mars' physical properties, including mass and radius
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of reduced gravity on human locomotion
  • Learn about Mars' gravitational acceleration calculations
  • Explore the implications of walking speed on Mars for astronaut training
  • Investigate the design of Mars simulation environments
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Astronaut trainees, aerospace engineers, physicists, and educators interested in planetary science and human adaptation to extraterrestrial environments.

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Homework Statement



You are an astronaut-in-training for the first mission to Mars by humans. You are about to go into a Mars simulator and need to know the answers to the following questions to complete the simulation correctly. You already have memorized basic information about Mars such as its mass (6.42x1023 kg), its radius (3.37x10^6 m) and its rotation period (its “day”) which is 24.8 hours. You also know that Newton’s universal gravitational constant (“big G”) is 6.67x10^-11 Nm2/kg2.

What is the speed at which you will be able to walk on the surface of Mars?

Homework Equations


Fnet=N-mgM=mv2/r
vM=(gM r)(1/2)

F=GMMm/rM(1/2)=mgM
gM=GMM/rM1/2

The Attempt at a Solution


use r= radius of the Mars, I got vM=3.56 km /s
use r= radius of my leg=0.7 m, I got vM=1.6 m/s.

Which one is right?
 
Last edited:
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Your problem refers to "the following questions" but there are none. What are questions?

AM
 
r is for the radius of Mars, your first equation uses it as the radius of the arc of the circle you move over.
 
What limits the speed that you can walk on the surface?

Also the denominator is r^2 not r^1/2 in:

F=GMMm/rM2=mgM
gM=GMM/rM2

AM
 

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