How many kilograms does the earth weigh?

An almost unimaginable number

The mass of the Earth is about 5.972 × 10²⁴ kilograms, or nearly 6 million trillion trillion kilograms. Written out in full, this number would be 5,972,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg – a number too large for humans to visualize intuitively.

Although Earth is only the third planet from the Sun, its mass is large enough to create the gravitational force that keeps the Moon orbiting it, keeps the air covering its surface, and keeps us “glued” to the ground.

How do people know how much the Earth weighs?

Illustration photo.

No one has ever weighed the Earth, but scientists have been able to calculate its mass using Newton's law of gravity. By observing the gravitational pull that the Earth exerts on objects (like a falling apple or a satellite orbiting it), and especially the motion of the Moon, scientists have been able to deduce the mass of the Earth with great precision.

A famous 18th-century experiment called the Cavendish experiment helped determine the gravitational constant – the key to calculating the mass of the Earth.

Comparison with other planets

Despite its mass, Earth is not the most massive planet in the Solar System. For example, Jupiter, the largest planet, is more than 317 times the mass of Earth. However, Earth is one of the few planets that can sustain life because of the perfect balance of mass, distance from the Sun, and atmospheric composition.

Earth – the silent giant

The Earth’s enormous mass is not just an impressive number, but also a decisive factor in everything: from the Moon’s orbit, climate, weather, to the ability of humans to survive. Every step you take, every object you hold, is being attracted by an invisible force coming from the “silent giant” called the Earth.

Understanding the mass of our home planet is not only astronomical knowledge, but also a reminder of the greatness and mystery of the universe – where we are just tiny specks of dust orbiting a brilliant sun in endless space.

Thanh Lam (t/h)

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/trai-dat-nang-bao-nhieu-kg/20250417114115136