On the Moon, you would weigh 16.5% of your weight on Earth. Multiply your Earth weight by 0.165: a 70 kg person would read 11.6 kg, and a 154 lb person 25.5 lb. That is 83% lighter than on Earth. Your mass does not change; only the pull on it does.
The surface gravity is 1.62 m/s² against 9.81 m/s² on Earth. Weight is mass times local gravity, W = m × g, so the scale reading is your Earth reading times 0.165.
Weight on the Moon by Earth weight
Each row is a person’s Earth weight and what the same person reads on the Moon. The pounds column converts the kilograms (1 kg = 2.20462 lb); the ratio 0.1651 is the same for any unit.
| On Earth | On the Moon (kg) | On the Moon (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 kg (88.2 lb) | 6.61 kg | 14.6 lb |
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 8.26 kg | 18.2 lb |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 9.91 kg | 21.8 lb |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 11.6 kg | 25.5 lb |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 13.2 kg | 29.1 lb |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 14.9 kg | 32.8 lb |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 16.5 kg | 36.4 lb |
Calculated as weight × 1.62 ÷ 9.81. A bathroom scale calibrated on Earth would show these values.
Why gravity is 1.62 m/s² on the Moon
Surface gravity follows from the body’s mass M and its radius R: g = G M ÷ R². The simulation uses a radius of 1,737 km, which with g = 1.62 m/s² corresponds to a mass of 0.0123 Earth masses.
The Moon’s pull is 16.5% of Earth’s, close to the one sixth that most people quote. The Apollo crews, carrying their suits and life support, lived with that ratio for up to three days at a time on the surface and bounded rather than walked.
Because the Moon is small as well as light, its escape speed is only 2.37 km/s, a fifth of Earth’s 11.2 km/s. That is why it has no real atmosphere: gas molecules get away too easily.
A jump and a fall on the Moon
Gravity sets more than weight. The take-off speed that lifts you 50 cm on Earth would raise you 3.03 m on the Moon, in a jump lasting 3.87 s against 0.639 s on Earth. A ball dropped from 2 m takes 1.57 s to land, compared with 0.639 s on Earth.
Escape speed, the speed at which you leave for good, is 2.37 km/s, against 11.2 km/s for Earth. It does not depend on your mass.
Compare with other worlds
For a 70 kg person, here is the pull and the scale reading on each body in the simulation. Select one to get its own page.
| Body | Gravity | A 70 kg person reads |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 3.7 m/s² | 26.4 kg |
| Venus | 8.87 m/s² | 63.3 kg |
| The Moon | 1.62 m/s² | 11.6 kg |
| Mars | 3.71 m/s² | 26.5 kg |
| Jupiter | 24.8 m/s² | 177 kg |
| Saturn | 10.4 m/s² | 74.5 kg |
| Uranus | 8.87 m/s² | 63.3 kg |
| Neptune | 11.2 m/s² | 79.6 kg |
| Pluto | 0.62 m/s² | 4.42 kg |
| The Sun | 274 m/s² | 1,960 kg |
| Neutron star | 1.3×10¹² m/s² | 9.2 trillion kg |
This page is one case from the full guide, Weight on other planets, which covers every case, the assumptions behind the model and what it leaves out.
Other cases
- Mercury 70 kg reads 26.4 kg
- Venus 70 kg reads 63.3 kg
- Mars 70 kg reads 26.5 kg
- Jupiter 70 kg reads 177 kg
- Saturn 70 kg reads 74.5 kg
- Uranus 70 kg reads 63.3 kg
- Neptune 70 kg reads 79.6 kg
- Pluto 70 kg reads 4.42 kg
- The Sun 70 kg reads 1,960 kg
- Neutron star 70 kg reads 9.2 trillion kg
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 70 kg person weigh on the Moon?
11.6 kg (25.5 lb). The ratio to Earth is 0.165, from g = 1.62 m/s² against 9.81 m/s².
Does my mass change on the Moon?
No. Mass is the amount of matter in you and stays the same everywhere. Weight is the force gravity puts on that mass, so it is the weight that changes, to 16.5% of its Earth value.
How do I work out my weight on the Moon?
Multiply your Earth weight by 0.165. In kilograms or pounds the answer comes out in the same unit, because the ratio has no unit.
How high could I jump on the Moon?
A jump that rises 50 cm on Earth would rise 3.03 m on the Moon, because height scales as 1 ÷ g for the same take-off speed.
Part of the learning path Gravity and motion, from a thrown ball to a planet.
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