An astronaut is walking on the moon where the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity "g’ is one-sixth…

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks how the astronaut's mass and weight on the moon compare with their values on Earth, given that g on the moon is one-sixth of g on Earth.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Mass is the quantity of matter in a body. It is constant everywhere and does not depend on gravity. It is measured in kilograms (kg).
• Weight is the force of gravity acting on a body: W = mg. It depends on g, so it changes from place to place. It is measured in newtons (N).

Step 3: Solve step by step

Let the astronaut's mass be m.

• On Earth: W_earth = m × g
• On the moon: g_moon = g/6, so W_moon = m × (g/6) = (1/6) × mg

Comparing the two:

• Mass on the moon = m, which is the same as on Earth.
• Weight on the moon = (1/6) of the weight on Earth, which is less.

Step 4: Identify the answer Mass is the same and weight is less, which matches option C (the same and less respectively).

Step 5: Exam tip Remember: "Mass stays, weight sways." Mass is the amount of matter and never changes with location. Weight depends on gravity, so it changes. For example, a 60 kg student has a mass of 60 kg on the moon too, but the weight drops from about 600 N (using g = 10 m/s²) to about 100 N.