The earth is smaller than many other planets but its weight is enormous enough to baffle human imagination
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However, it's important to remember that when we talk about the ‘weight' of the Earth, we're really referring to its mass
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Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object, and since Earth is floating in space, it doesn't actually ‘weigh' anything in the traditional sense
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Just like humans weigh much less on the moon than we do at home, Earth doesn't have just one weight
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However, as per NASA, the best estimate for Earth's mass is 5,970,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms
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This estimate has been refined over time through advancements in technology and methods
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Since Earth is too big to be placed on a scale, scientists use mathematics and the laws of gravity to figure out Earth's weight
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The Earth's mass also fluctuates slightly due to the addition of space dust and gases leaking out of our atmosphere
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The initial estimates were made using observations of planetary motions and applying Newton's law of universal gravitation
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Knowing Earth's mass is important as it helps scientists understand many aspects of our planet and its interactions in space