How Much Would You Weigh on the Moon vs Earth

If you weigh 70 kg on Earth, a scale on the Moon would read about 11.6 kg. Your weight on the Moon is roughly 16.6% (one sixth) of what it is here. And your mass doesn’t change by a single gram. In this article you’ll see why that happens, how to calculate it, and what it really means.

The quick answer: how much you would weigh on the Moon

Gravity on the lunar surface is 1.62 m/s², compared with 9.81 m/s² on Earth. Dividing one by the other gives 0.165, or about 16.5%. That’s why people usually say you would weigh one sixth.

• 60 kg on Earth: about 9.9 kg on the Moon.
• 70 kg on Earth: about 11.6 kg on the Moon.
• 80 kg on Earth: about 13.2 kg on the Moon.
• 100 kg on Earth: about 16.5 kg on the Moon.

Weight and mass: the difference that explains everything

Mass is the amount of matter in your body and is measured in kilograms. It is the same anywhere in the universe. Weight is the force with which a celestial body pulls on you, and it depends on the gravity of the place where you are.

In everyday life we use “weight” and “kilos” as synonyms, and it works because we are always on Earth. On the Moon that habit breaks down: your mass would still be 70 kg, but the force you exert on the ground would be much smaller.

Why lunar gravity is weaker

The gravity of a celestial body depends on its mass and its radius. The Moon has a mass of about 0.0123 times that of Earth (roughly 1.2%) and a radius of 1,737 km, compared with Earth’s 6,371 km, about 27%.

The small mass greatly reduces the pull, and the smaller radius partly makes up for it, because you are closer to the body’s center. The net result is that lunar gravity of 1.62 m/s².

Calculating your lunar weight step by step

Calculating your lunar weight is a simple rule of three. You only need your weight on Earth in kilograms and the factor 0.165.

• Write down your Earth weight in kg (for example, 65 kg).
• Multiply it by 0.165.
• 65 × 0.165 = 10.7 kg. That is your weight on the Moon.

If you prefer the physics formula, weight is mass × gravity. With 65 kg: on Earth, 65 × 9.81 = 637.7 newtons; on the Moon, 65 × 1.62 = 105.3 newtons. The ratio between the two is still 0.165.

Weight difference between Earth and the Moon in pounds

If your scale reads in pounds, the method is identical: multiply by 0.165. A person weighing 154 lb (about 70 kg) would weigh around 25.4 lb on the Moon. The weight difference between Earth and the Moon would be about 128.6 lb.

To switch from one system to the other without errors, you can convert kilograms to pounds instantly and then apply the lunar factor to the result.

Weight on the Moon compared with Earth and other celestial bodies

The Moon isn’t the only place where your weight would change. These are the approximate factors relative to Earth for a 70 kg person:

• Moon: 0.165, about 11.6 kg.
• Mars: 0.38, about 26.6 kg.
• Venus: 0.91, about 63.7 kg.
• Jupiter: 2.53, about 177 kg.

The Moon is by far the lightest destination among those humans have set foot on. To expand the cosmic scale, check out how far away the Moon is in different curious units.

What it feels like to move in lunar gravity

With one sixth of the gravity, a jump that lifts you 0.5 m on Earth would take you to about 3 m high. Apollo astronauts moved with long, somewhat clumsy hops, and sometimes fell because of the suits’ unbalanced weight.

Careful: inertia doesn’t change. Pushing a 100 kg object horizontally takes the same effort on the Moon as it does here, because its mass is the same. Only lifting it is easier.

An example with everyday objects

A 23 kg suitcase, the usual airline limit, would weigh the equivalent of 3.8 kg on the Moon. A 25 kg bag of cement would feel like one of 4.1 kg. If you enjoy these comparisons, you’ll have fun learning how much you would weigh if your body were made of gold.

Frequently asked questions

How much would a 70 kg person weigh on the Moon?

They would weigh about 11.6 kg on a scale adapted to lunar gravity. You get it by multiplying 70 by 0.165. Their mass would still be 70 kg.

Why do you weigh one sixth on the Moon?

Because lunar gravity is 1.62 m/s² and Earth’s is 9.81 m/s². The ratio between the two is 0.165, roughly 1/6.

Does my mass change on the Moon?

No. Mass is the amount of matter in your body and it is constant. Only weight changes, which is the force of gravitational attraction.

How do I calculate my lunar weight in pounds?

Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.165. For example, 150 lb × 0.165 = 24.75 lb on the Moon.

Where in the Solar System would you weigh the most?

On Jupiter, with a factor of about 2.53 times Earth weight, taking its upper atmosphere as a reference. A 70 kg person would feel like about 177 kg.