What Is The Mass Of The Earth?
(H/DR Adeeb Ahmed, Karachi)
Mass is the amount of matter in
an object. The mass of the Earth is estimated to be 6 sextillion, 588
quintillion short tons (6.6 sextillion short tons) or 5.97 x 1024 kilograms. A
short ton equals 2,000 pounds as opposed to a long ton, the unit used in Great
Britain, which equals 2,240 pounds. The Earth has an average density of 5.52
grams per cubic centimeter, which is 5.52 times the average density of water
(the standard).
The method for calculating the mass of the Earth was adopted by the
International Astronomical Union in 1964 and recognized by the International
Union of Geodesy and Geophysics in 1967.