A 60 kg person stands on a scale on Earth. What is the approximate scale reading?

A 60 kg person stands on a scale on Earth. What is the approximate scale reading?

• A. About 1200 N
• B. About 588 N
• C. About 60 N
• D. About 0.6 N

Answer: (B)

Scale readings show the normal force from the surface on you, which at rest on Earth equals your weight. Weight is mass times gravitational acceleration, so for a 60 kg person with g ≈ 9.8 m/s^2, weight ≈ 60 × 9.8 ≈ 588 N. That’s why the reading is about 588 newtons. The other numbers come from mixing up mass with weight or using an incorrect gravity value.

Scale readings show the normal force from the surface on you, which at rest on Earth equals your weight. Weight is mass times gravitational acceleration, so for a 60 kg person with g ≈ 9.8 m/s^2, weight ≈ 60 × 9.8 ≈ 588 N. That’s why the reading is about 588 newtons. The other numbers come from mixing up mass with weight or using an incorrect gravity value.