Earth's mass

Earth's mass is the total amount of matter in the planet, about 5.972 × 10²⁴ kilograms. It is inferred chiefly from Earth's gravitational effects rather than measured by weighing the planet.

Newton's law of universal gravitation: A law stating that every pair of masses attracts with a force proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to distance squared. Earth's gravitational pull supplies the force used to infer its mass.
Mass: A physical quantity measuring inertia and, in gravitational physics, a body's capacity to produce and respond to gravity. Earth's mass is a planetary instance of this fundamental quantity.
Orbit: The gravitationally bound path of one body around another. Earth's mass sets the gravitational scale for objects orbiting the planet.
Measurement uncertainty: The quantified doubt associated with a measured value or estimate. Uncertainty in G limits the precision of Earth's mass derived from orbital data.
Gravitational constant: The proportionality constant in Newton's law of universal gravitation, denoted G. Mass inferred from gravity depends on the measured value of G.
Weight: The force exerted on a body by gravity, dependent on both the body's mass and the local gravitational field. Earth's mass is not the same as the weight of objects at its surface.
Satellite geodesy: The use of satellite observations to measure Earth's shape, rotation, and gravity field. Satellite orbits provide precise constraints on Earth's gravitational parameter.
CODATA recommended values: Internationally recommended values of fundamental physical constants and their uncertainties. The recommended value and uncertainty of G affect the stated uncertainty in Earth's mass.
Cavendish experiment: An 18th-century torsion-balance experiment that measured the gravitational attraction between laboratory masses. Its method enabled an estimate of Earth's mean density and mass.
Density: Mass per unit volume of a substance or body. Earth's mean density helps connect its mass to its size and internal composition.

Linked from 8 pages