Calculate your weight on different planets in Python
Hello, aspiring space cadets of Gdynia Space Academy! Ever wondered how much you'd weigh on Mars or Jupiter? Today, we'll use Python to build a program that calculates your weight on different planets. This skill might come in handy during your future space missions!
Before we blast off, let's understand the basics. Your weight changes on different planets because of gravity. But your mass stays the same. On Earth, we use weight and mass interchangeably, but in space, they're different!
Let's start coding our space weight calculator:
First, we'll create a dictionary of planets and their surface gravities:
planets = {
"Mercury": 3.7,
"Venus": 8.87,
"Earth": 9.81,
"Mars": 3.711,
"Jupiter": 24.79,
"Saturn": 10.44,
"Uranus": 8.69,
"Neptune": 11.15
}
These numbers represent the surface gravity of each planet in m/s².
What's a Dictionary?
In Python, a dictionary is a collection of key-value pairs. It's like a real-world dictionary where you have a word (the key) and its definition (the value). In our program, we use a dictionary to store planets (keys) and their corresponding surface gravities (values). This allows us to quickly look up the gravity of any planet we've included.
Dictionaries are very useful when you want to associate pieces of related information. They're written with curly braces {} and each key-value pair is separated by a comma. The key and value in each pair are separated by a colon.
Next, let's create a function to calculate weight:
def calculate_weight(mass, gravity):
return mass * gravity
This function multiplies mass by gravity to get weight.
Now, let's get input from the user:
mass = float(input("Enter your mass in kg: "))
print("Available planets:")
for planet in planets:
print(planet)
chosen_planet = input("Enter the planet you want to calculate your weight on: ")
We ask for the user's mass and show a list of available planets.
The user then chooses a planet. Time to calculate and display the weight:
if chosen_planet in planets:
gravity = planets[chosen_planet]
weight = calculate_weight(mass, gravity)
print(f"Your weight on {chosen_planet} would be {weight:.2f} N")
else:
print("Planet not found in our database. Are you sure you spelled it correctly?")
This code checks if the chosen planet is in our dictionary. If it is, it calculates the weight and displays it. If not, it shows an error message. Let's put it all together.
Note that our program calculates weight in Newtons (N), not kilograms (kg). This is because weight is actually a force - the force of gravity acting on an object's mass. While your mass stays constant, your weight changes depending on the gravity of the planet you're on.
And there you have it, future space explorers! You've just created a program that calculates weight on different planets. This is just the beginning of your journey at Gdynia Space Academy. Who knows? One day, you might use this knowledge on real interplanetary missions!
Remember, in space exploration, every calculation matters. Keep practicing your Python skills, and soon you'll be ready for more advanced space simulations. The stars are waiting for you!
The complete code for our space weight calculator is in the code tab.
Now that you know how to calculate your weight in newtons on different planets, how about an additional challenge? Try modifying the program to display the weight in kilograms as well.
Here are some tips:
- Weight in kilograms is simply the weight in newtons divided by the gravity on Earth's surface (approximately 9.80665 m/s²).
- You can add a new function to perform the conversion.
planets = {
"Mercury": 3.7,
"Venus": 8.87,
"Earth": 9.81,
"Mars": 3.711,
"Jupiter": 24.79,
"Saturn": 10.44,
"Uranus": 8.69,
"Neptune": 11.15
}
def calculate_weight(mass, gravity):
return mass * gravity
mass = float(input("Enter your mass in kg: "))
print("Available planets:")
for planet in planets:
print(planet)
chosen_planet = input("Enter the planet you want to calculate your weight on: ")
if chosen_planet in planets:
gravity = planets[chosen_planet]
weight = calculate_weight(mass, gravity)
print(f"Your weight on {chosen_planet} would be {weight:.2f} N")
else:
print("Planet not found in our database. Are you sure you spelled it correctly?")
